Life in Republic City
by Gatituh
Summary: Kisara, a young waterbender, moves to Republic City for a new life on her own, but life in the city isn't as easy as she expects. She takes on the challenges of city as it stares into the face of war. BolinxOC
1. The Helpful Stranger

**Please leave a review! :)**

* * *

"Hey! Those are my nuts!" Gommu was arguing with the rabbit squirrels in the park again. I sat at the bank opposite of him watching as he swung his hands at the creatures trying to get his dinner back. It was a beautiful sunny late afternoon in Republic City and I always enjoyed spending days like this in the City Park. I had long forgotten what day it was anymore, I just knew I had been in the city for 27 days now and hadn't had a real meal or place to sleep since I had gotten here. My stomach growled as I watched Gommu fight the animals for his dinner. They hopped away with half of his nuts, but he managed to salvage a good bit and scrambled back to his bush to enjoy his meal. I sighed and turned back to the water hungrily. I would have had no problem asking Gommu to share his dinner normally, as I did many other evenings here in the city, but I always felt so guilty eating half of his dinner that always seemed so small to begin with. He never seemed to mind though.

I twirled my fingers through the air, making the water jump in pretty little spirals as my mind thought about what I could be eating back home in the Northern Water Tribe. I shook my head trying to rid myself of the thought. I couldn't go back there. I couldn't give in. If I went back, I'd be forced into that stupid arranged marriage. And besides that I couldn't face my father. I can only imagine how much I hurt him when he found out I had stowed away on one of the trade ships to Republic City. I lay back in the grass and tried to enjoy the rest of the sunlight as best as I could. But the task seemed to be impossible as my stomach would not stop aching. Frustrated, I got up and grabbed my bag, deciding that I would just go find some place to sleep for tonight before the sun went down. Since I was getting such an early start on searching, I'd probably find a great place to settle down for the night.

I made my way down the busy streets of down town, looking at all the food stalls on the side of the road. Many a day I had been tempted to steal from the stalls, it would be all too easy to do it. The streets were always so busy, no one would ever notice if I just walked by and nonchalantly stole one or two apples. I just wished that one day the fruit would just jump out of its baskets and walk to my feet. Today, it seemed like my wish was coming true. As I was walking past an orange stand, a huge crowd shoved by, knocking an orange out of its basket. It rolled past my feet, unnoticed by anyone but me. It seemed like my lucky day! Before anyone could notice, I scooped up the orange and walked away quickly. I didn't even think of the fact that I could have just put the fruit back; being in the city for so long with no place to live kind of softened my conscience a bit. The people were all so rude, so I felt I deserved this free orange.

I turned off the main street and continued walking down the quieter back streets, peeling my orange along the way. As I bit into the orange, my mouth filled with its sweet juices, making my taste buds sigh. The city was riddled with vagabonds and orphans and it wasn't at all like I dreamed it would be when I read about it in my school books back home. It seemed like more of a sad and desperate place. A couple of thugs watched me as I walked past the alleyway they were standing in. I wasn't worried about being attacked anymore though. I looked so dirty and unpleasant in my old fashioned water tribe outfit that hadn't been cleaned in weeks, and I didn't smell much better, either. No one dared touch the dirty looking homeless girl walking down the street. The thugs eventually turned away and I continued walking on.

When I finished off my orange, I noticed I had made it to a part of the city I had never seen before. I was close to the water though, and I could hear it splashing against the shores of the city. Oh, how I loved the sounds of the water. I wished I could just run to the shore and play in it, making wonderful shapes and bending the water this way and that. I hadn't been able to _really_waterbend since I had gotten here. The main reason I _had_ come here was to improve my waterbending. I had been one of the best healers in training when I lived in the tribe, and even the masters thought I was great. I was hoping to come to the city and apprentice under one of the healers here but no one seemed interested. After being turned away so many times, I didn't know what to do, and now here I was, living on the streets.

Up ahead was a big extravagant looking building, but all the lights were out inside except for a large room in the top corner. I heard people talking about this place around town; this must be the pro-bending arena. I heard security there was pretty lax. This would probably be a great place to camp tonight, and it's a good thing I found it when I did because the sun was nearly set. I smirked and made my way to the building. I walked around the back of the arena and found a huge pile of trash bags sitting outside of a back door. When I got closer, I noticed they were mainly full of old rags and towels, and I was grateful I wouldn't have to sleep in a pile of old food tonight. I plopped down on the trash and made myself comfy. I gazed up at the twilight sky and sighed. It was such a beautiful sky tonight. The sounds of the water lapping at the shore started to ease me into light slumber, but not before someone swung open the back door. I jumped up out of the pile of trash as the young man let out a startled yelp. He certainly didn't expect a girl to be sleeping in his trash.

"Oh, I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to scare you. I thought it'd be okay to sleep here tonight! Please don't call the cops. I'll leave if you want." I just went on rambling and expecting him to throw the trash bag in his hand at me, but he didn't. He just stared at me. I stopped talking and stared back. I mean, I know the city people were rude, but no one has stared at me quite like this before. "What?"

"Oh, oh, uh, it's nothing. I'm sorry." I saw him smile in the darkness and he tossed the trash into the rest of the pile. An apology? That's strange. No one has ever apologized for staring before. Not that they needed to, I'd stare too if I saw someone as disgusting looking as I look now. "Do you have a place to stay tonight?"

I hoped he wasn't offering me into his home. Last time I was naïve enough to enter a man's home, some unmentionable things had occurred and I had just barely escaped before he had done anything to extreme. I took a step back and spoke sternly. "Well, I was hoping to stay out here if you'd let me."

"Nonsense, you can come inside if you like. We have plenty of room." He noticed my hesitancy. "I promise I won't do anything to you. You can even use our bath if you like." Oh a warm bath. That sounded so nice. I bit my lip trying to decide if I should take him up on the offer. "I can't just leave a pretty girl out to sleep on the street. Come on, you can trust me." I blushed a little and was thankful it was dark. This man was the first one to treat me like a human since I came to the city, besides Gommu of course. But I'm sure he thought the rabbit squirrels were also human. He was a bit strange. I stared at the outline of the man wondering if I could trust him. I might as well. I could always casually disappear if I needed to. I was pretty good at sneaking around.

"Oh, okay." He took my hand and pulled me towards the door. I was just noticing how big he was. He wasn't incredibly tall, but he had big arms and a huge chest. His hands were surprisingly soft and rather large compared to mine. I felt so tiny next to him. He pulled me through a bunch of rooms and up a few stairs I'm pretty sure we passed through an old gym at one point before arriving at a rickety spiral staircase. He motioned for me to climb up and followed up after me, opening an old wooden door at the top. Once we were in the light, I noticed how handsome he really was. He had a thick mess of black hair atop his head and big, beautiful green eyes. He was quite muscular, although he couldn't be more than 16 years old.

I realized we were in the top corner of the building that I noticed was lit earlier. The whole room was like one big glass box. All of the walls were covered with multiple tall windows and the rest of the room was lit with two large hanging lights. There was a frumpy looking red couch in one corner with another boy sitting on it reading a newspaper. He looked much like the boy that had brought me inside, except he was taller and lankier with much better kempt hair. He looked up from his article and frowned when he took in the sight before him. I couldn't blame him for having that reaction, but all the same, I backed up and hid behind the muscular boy that had been so nice to me.

"Bolin, are you taking in homeless people now? Toza is gonna be upset when he finds out."

"Which is why he won't find out, right Mako? Just like he doesn't know about Pabu? Oh come on, she was sleeping out on the trash bags? You remember what that's like, don't you? It's just one night, it won't be forever. Just look at her." He grabbed me by my shoulders and pulled me in front of him. My eyes widened nervously as the boy called Bolin presented me to Mako. "Look Mako, have a heart. We could at least feed her, right?" Mako rolled his eyes and went back to his newspaper. "Fine. Do what you want. Just don't bother me with it."

Bolin smiled and went to take my bag from me. I clutched it tightly, not sure if I should let him. It sure seemed like I could trust him. "Don't worry, you'll get your bag back." He chuckled as I handed it to him.

While I had the chance to think I took in the rest of the small apartment. Outside the windows you could see the harbor and Aang Memorial Island in the distance. It was such a beautiful view. Next to the couch, they had to beds shoved up in the corner with a little bed side table squeezed between them. The opposite side of the room had a stove and a tiny table and across from their makeshift kitchen was a plain looking sink with an old mirror sitting above it. On either side of the room there were two ladders they led up to what seemed to be a loft, but I couldn't be quite sure what was up there. There were weights and boxes scattered about and a few books here and there, but otherwise the apartment was fairly empty. The apartment was rather plain and I could tell whatever it was wasn't always a place to live. Perhaps it was an old storage room or attic. Whatever it was, though, it was very quaint and rather cozy and I quite liked it. Bolin threw my bag on the bed against the wall and turned back to me, smiling.

"I'm Bolin, by the way, as I'm sure you heard. And that sour puss on the couch is my older brother, Mako. Would you care to tell me your name miss?"

"Er…"

"Don't tell me you're shy?"

"No. My name is… Kisara. Most people just call me Kisa though." I said that last part a little more quietly than I wanted. I huffed a little. I don't know why I was being so coy. No, I did know why. He was really quite handsome. Not like the boys in the water tribe back home. I had never seen anyone built quite like him.

"Oh, well, nice to meet you Miss Kisa. Would you like to clean up a bit? You seemed to perk up a bit outside when I told you we had a bath."

"Yes, of course. Please." I didn't know what else to say. I felt so stupid. I haven't had any hospitality like this in a long time. It felt so foreign to me now. To be treated normally. I followed him up one of the ladders and emerged in what seemed to be their bathroom. If the apartment was quaint, I couldn't begin to describe this. All they had was a small brass tub with a upturned bucket sitting next to it and another mirror sitting next to the tub. They had a brush and some soap sitting on top of the bucket and a few more things I had never seen scattered around the side of the tub.

"I know it's not much, but we seem to get by with it."

"Oh no. I think this whole place is brilliant. It's much more extravagant than the places I've been sleeping. And the view…" I smiled and looked out the window. "Although I'm not sure anyone can compete with Gommu's bush. Sometimes I can just see it sparkling in the sunlight."

Bolin laughed lightly. "Ah, Gommu. He's probably the nicest person you'll meet in this city." I turned and looked at him, surprised. "Yeah everyone knows about Gommu and his bush. This town isn't all that big. By the way, that water isn't that hot. I usually get Mako to heat it up for me a bit before I get in. I'll get him real quick."

"No that's okay," I said, walking over to the tub. I dipped my fingers into the cool water, closing my eyes for a second to enjoy the fresh water touching my fingers. "This is fine. We really don't need to bother him." I bit my lip, hoping he wouldn't kick me out before the night was over.

"Alright then." He handed me a towel and backed away. "I'll just leave you alone so you can bathe and, uh, stuff. Yeah. You can throw your clothes down the ladder and I'll get them cleaned for you if you like." He smiled and climbed back down the ladder left me alone then. I waited a few moments before I could hear the two brothers talking quietly on the couch before I undressed. I glanced down the ladder and dropped them to the floor like he asked before getting into the tub. The water was cool, but not too much so. Much like the cool showers we would take back home. I looked at myself in the mirror next to the tub, finally taking in what a month of the streets made me look like.

I wasn't as terrible as I thought. My skin looked darker under all the grime and my hair was a total mess, but I still looked like me under all of that, which wasn't much. Back at the water tribe, most people considered me beautiful, but once I got to Republic City, that all changed. The women here were on a totally different level. They caked their faces with makeup and wore tight corsets under all their clothes. Their hair was always so perfect and never out of place. I on the other hand, just always braided my hair down my back. Water tribe women were known for having bigger hips and small waists and a bigger bust, and, although living on the streets for a while made me a bit thinner than normal, I also had all of the qualities of a water tribe woman. All the women here just seemed so tiny. I had never felt so self conscious about myself until I came to the city.

I reached over the edge of the tub and grabbed the brush before relaxing against the side of the tub. But that relaxing feeling went away as I started to brush my hair. It was incredibly knotted and trying to get the brush through it was a difficult task. It took me nearly 10 minutes and I had nearly ripped out what seemed like all of my hair before all the knots were gone and my hair was back to its natural smooth self. I dropped the brush next to the tub and submerged myself under the water. It felt so good to be under water again. I concentrated my mind and directed my healing abilities out through my hands and spreading through the whole tub. My body instantly felt so much better. I came up for air and immediately started scrubbing the grime from my hair and body. It didn't take long before I was back to my natural skin color.

Finally, I had time to just relax. I leaned back in the tub and closed my eyes. I could still hear the sounds of the ocean through the walls. I smiled and started bending the tub water, making it ripple this way and that. I focused harder and managed to get a decent sized sphere of water floating above the tub. I lifted it up towards the ceiling before releasing it and letting it splash over my head.

"Is everything alright up there?" I heard Bolin yell from down the ladder. I held back a laugh as I realized it must look weird to see a ball of water floating around the ceiling. It just felt so good to play in the water; I forgot where I even was.

"Yes, sorry, I'm nearly done."

"Oh it's fine. Er, just don't make a mess."

I laughed quietly as I got out of the tub and dried off. When I looked back into the mirror I looked like myself again. I smiled and brushed my hair out a second time, which was much easier than the first time. After bending the water out of my hair, I braided it back down my back like I used to. Finally, I wrapped the towel around me and drained the tub. And then I realized I didn't have anything to wear. My normal outfit was dirty and worn out to the point that I might as well just throw it away. I remembered that I had a spare day tunic in my bag, but it wasn't all that clean. I guess it would have to do. I peeked down and saw Bolin sitting cross legged on the floor playing with a fire ferret. I whispered his name and he looked up smiling. "Finally done?"

"Er, kinda. I need my clothes. Could you bring me my bag?"

"Oh, yeah, sure. Sorry I didn't think about that." He blushed a little and retrieved my bag from the loft. He climbed up the ladder to the bath and handed me my back while keeping his other hand over his eyes. I laughed lightly as I took my bag from him. He was acting quite adorable and I knew I was going to like this guy. After he climbed back down, I got out my tunic and undergarments and quickly dressed. The tunic stopped right above my knee and had a slit that stopped just below my hips on either side, but it would have to do. I didn't really have anything else to wear.

I hung my towel on the ladder after I climbed down and joined Bolin on the floor. I watched as he did tricks with the little fire ferret. "Aw, he's so cute. Who's this little guy?"

"His name's Pabu. I found him on the streets a few years ago and we've been inseparable since." He smiled and scratched Pabu's head. "I've been teaching him circus tricks so we can perform on the weekends. Watch!" He twirled his finger in a circle and the fire ferret did a little back flip. I laughed and reached out to scratch his back. He rolled over and pawed at my hand. He didn't act much like a ferret, but I really liked him. "Oh, I think he likes you." Bolin smiled up at me and I blushed. "I didn't know you were a water bender. I guess I should've known from the get up you were wearing, which I already got washed, by the way. Your clothes are hanging out back, drying." He propped his arm up on his knee and rested his chin in his hand. "Hmmm, you're absolutely adorable, you know." I smiled more and looked down trying to hide the red in my face. Mako set down his newspaper on the table in front of him and got up, stretching his arms. He was so quiet I almost forgot he was there.

"You really shouldn't be so forward, Bolin. You're just making things awkward for the poor girl. I'm going to bed now, you guys keep it down." Pabu rolled over and ran after him, climbing into his bed before Mako could even get there. Watching Mako go to bed made me realize how tired I was. I yawned and leaned back on my hands. I didn't know where I was even going to sleep tonight; their apartment really wasn't all that big. "You can sleep in my bed if you like."

"Oh no, I couldn't do that. I'll just sleep on the couch, it's no big deal."

"You sure?"

"Yeah. I wouldn't want to sleep that close to your brother anyways. He doesn't seem to like me that much."

"Of course he likes you! He's not always this mean. He just doesn't like meeting new people." Bolin stuck his tongue out at Mako while he wasn't looking, which made me giggle a little. "He's much nicer once you get to know him." He got up and grabbed a blanket out of one of the boxes just sitting around and threw it onto the couch along with a lumpy looking pillow. I sat down on the couch and thanked him.

"You're the first person here to actually help me out like this. I can't thank you enough."

"Really it's not a big deal. I know what it's like to live out on the streets here. Me and my brother were homeless for a good while before Toza let us stay here." He paused for second, like he wasn't sure if he should have said that, then quickly changed the subject. "Well, goodnight. See you in the morning." He winked and turned out all the lights and climbed into his tiny bed against the wall. I curled up under the blanket on the couch. It was so soft and comfy, I missed being able to sleep somewhere clean and comfortable for once. The blanket smelled a bit earthy, but I didn't mind. It was actually a nice smell. I looked over to where Bolin was was falling asleep in his bed and smiled. Things were starting to look up. Maybe there was hope for Republic City after all. I closed my eyes and listened to the sounds of the harbor for the third time tonight, finally able to drift off into a deep, relaxing slumber.


	2. Surprises

I woke up the next morning to a fuzzy little ferret nuzzling my lips. His whiskers went straight up my nose and I immediately sat up and shook my head. Pabu rolled into my lap and looked up at me playfully. I gently scratched his head while trying to remember where exactly I was. Bolin was standing in the kitchen with a spatula in his hand, smiling at me. He was dressed in normal street clothes with tints of green in them. There was bacon sizzling on the stove next to him and eggs already cooked on a plate on the counter behind him. My stomach growled loudly.

"Oh, that smells great." Bolin laughed and slid the bacon on to a plate and brought it over to me along with the plate of eggs. He sat down next to me on the couch and set the plates in front of me.

"Eat up!"

"What, you're not going to have any?" Not that I cared. I was starving. But I did care. I didn't want to eat all of his food. I was imposing enough as it is.

"Nah, I'm fine. I already ate breakfast. I was just making this for you; I figured you'd be starving. So eat!"

I guess I couldn't deny a free meal. Especially since he wasn't going to let me leave until I ate it. It was wonderful. I hadn't eaten anything cooked since I left home. I savored every bite as best as I could and before I knew it, everything was gone. While I was eating, Bolin kept asking me about life at the Water Tribe. I avoided anything that involved the arranged marriage and ended up talking about how I missed my dad. It was making me very homesick, and I think he could tell because he quickly changed the subject.

"Oh hey, I have a surprise for you."

"For me?" What could he have for me? I didn't do anything to deserve a gift. Or whatever he had planned. What did he have planned? I looked up into his big green eyes. Oh those eyes, they just make me melt. I don't care what he had planned; I'd do whatever he wanted. I bit my lip, hoping he couldn't read all the thoughts racing through my mind. What was wrong with me, I barely knew him. He was so sweet though.

"Duh. A lady that runs a coffee shop downtown owes me a favor. Soooooo, I figured I could get you a job out there. Don't know how much the pay is or what the hours are like but I figured you wouldn't mind. Er, is that okay?"

"Oh my gosh!" I jumped forward and hugged him, then quickly leaned back and blushed. "I mean, of course it's okay! That's great! You're so amazing!" I covered my mouth and laughed shyly. He didn't know how amazing he really was. Suddenly, there was a loud boom and thud from the floor below us. I grabbed the blanket nervously and looked up at Bolin. But he didn't look scared at all. In fact he was laughing at me. "What was that? Why are you laughing?"

"You should see your face. Oh, it was so funny. Don't worry, it's just Mako. He's downstairs training."

"Training? For what?"

"Oh. Mako and I are pro-benders." He straightened up when he said that. I could tell he was very proud of being a pro-bender. And why shouldn't he be. Pro-bending was the most popular sport in the world right now. My face lit up with excitement; I was thrilled to meet a real pro-bender. Bolin lifted his chin smugly. "Yeah, our team is the fire ferrets. And we're in the running to go to the championship!"

"Oh that's so cool. I've never seen a real pro-bending match. But I heard about it all the time down at the docks at the Water Tribe when I would go with my dad. It sounded so awesome. I've always wanted to see one since I was little. So I'm guessing you and Mako are both firebenders?"

"Uh, no. He's a firebender. I'm an earthbender." Wow! I had never met siblings with different bending abilities before. I mean I had read that it was much more common now than it was fifty years ago, but it was still surprising. "You can really tell you aren't from around here. Most of the people in town have mixed bending families." I blushed from my foolishness. I knew that, but it was still cool to me. There was another thud downstairs and Bolin made me go get dressed so we could go in to town.

I walked over to where he folded my now clean clothes and picked up my tights. I decided not to change into my old tattered water tribe robe and just keep my old tunic on. I might as well just throw the old robe away, but I couldn't bring myself to do it. Instead I stuffed it into my bag and tied it closed. Hopefully, once I get this job I'll be able to buy some normal clothes. I slipped on my tights under my tunic and pulled on my brown leather boots. I looked down at myself and smiled. It felt so good to be clean and look normal again.

When I was done, I grabbed my bag and followed Bolin downstairs. There were scorch marks and dirt all over the training room that I didn't notice when I passed through it last night. I looked around at all the different mats and nets they had hung around the room. There were a bunch of burning dummies on the opposite side of the room. This place looked great. If only I could start training. A stream of fire suddenly shot past me and Bolin grabbed me by the shoulder and pulled me back out of the way.

"Mako, what the hell, man?"

"Sorry. I didn't see you." He scoffed and wiped the sweat from his brow. "Korra is skipping training again today. That girl. We're gonna lose before we even get to the championship if she doesn't start training with us." He angrily threw a fireball at the floor.

"Oh, and that's why you're angry, huh? Not because you just really want to see her and she keeps running off on some avatar duties, right?"

"Shut up!"

"Wait. You guys know the Avatar?" Mysteries just kept unraveling with these two. First I find out they're pro-benders, and now they're telling me they're friends with the Avatar. This is just too much.

"Yeah. She's the waterbender for our team. And Mako here is in _love_ with her."

"Would you shut up, I am not. And if she doesn't start training, we're gonna have to find a replacement waterbender. Geez she's so stubborn. Why'd you have to let her on our team?"

"What? She saved our butts. Without her we would've been disqualified. Then we'd never have a chance for the finals. You should be thanking me."

"Whatever. She's going to be the death of me…" Mako turned and continued his training, shooting fireballs at dummies and targets placed at different spots in the room.

Bolin grabbed my hand and started leading me out of the room. "Okay, well I'm going in to town with Kisara," he yelled back at Mako. "Don't burn down the building, please!"

We made our way through the arena and Bolin pulled me out into the sunlight. I shielded my eyes. Today was just as beautiful as yesterday. The sky was spotted with tiny white fluffs and the sun was brighter than ever. You wouldn't' even know it was fall if it wasn't so chilly. It seemed the temperature had dropped at least 10 degrees over night. I regretted not wearing my heavier robe today and wrapped my arms around my chest as a chill ran down my spine.

"Ah, don't worry, it'll warm up by noon." He smiled and pulled me up to walk next to him. I hadn't been this close to him yet and noticed that he had that same earthy smell that the blanket I had slept with last night had. I couldn't help but smile about it. It was such a wonderful smell. "What are you smiling about?"

"Oh, uh." _Quick, think of a lie!_ Ugh, why'd he have to make me all nervous. "Just excited about this job you're getting for me. Thanks so much. You're doing me a huge favor."

"Hah, it's not a problem. I guess you'll just have to pay me back some time." He winked and pulled me around the corner to the busy main street. I blushed slightly. Was he flirting with me? Why'd I have to be so oblivious? I could never tell when a guy was flirting with me or if he was just being nice. Maybe I'm just stupid. I sighed as we shoved through the people on the crowded street. "Ah, here we are."

I looked up at a quaint little coffee shop on the end of the main road. It was much smaller than the rest of the shops on the road and not as busy, but it had a nice little quirkiness about it. As we got closer the smell of roasted coffee beans drifted out of the door and I knew I was probably going to enjoy working here. A man in a business suit shoved his way out as I followed Bolin inside. My eyes had to adjust to the darkness of the inside of the shop as Bolin led me to a table. "Wait here."

I sat down and watched as he walked up to a tired looking middle aged woman. They started talking for a bit, occasionally looking over at me. I rapped my fingers on the table nervously, and looked around as they talked. There were a few people sitting in the shop, sipping coffee and reading newspapers. This place was so "hip," there's no way I'd fit in here. The barista behind the counter was watching me as he dried some coffee mugs. He was big like Bolin, but much taller. He looked like he'd beat me up if I looked at him the wrong way, so I quickly looked away and went back to watching Bolin and the owner talk again. They were laughing now. _Oh, I hope that's a good sign._

Finally, Bolin and the woman made their way over to me. I stood up quickly, tugging on the sides of my tunic nervously.

"So, Kisara is it? My name's Rosalie Ochi." She reached out and shook my hand. "There's no need to be formal here, you can just call me Rose. You're lucky I love this boy so much. He gave me a couple of pro-bending tickets a while back and needed a way to repay him."

"Ah, what can I say, Rose. You make the best Hot Cocoa in the city. You earned those tickets."

"You're such a charmer, Bo. But none-the-less, I still owe you. So, Kisara, you can start tomorrow night."

"Oh really? That's aweso-"

"Now wait a minute. First things first, Bolin says you're open to any availability?" I nodded. "Okay, well you're going to be working Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays 9-4." Oh that didn't sound so bad. "At night." Great. Well, I guess I couldn't really be choosy. I really needed this job and I'd work whenever she wanted me to. "We don't have many people willing to work those shifts, and I'll warn you now we get some pretty sketchy people in here at night. But don't worry. Kuro here works all the weekend night shifts and he won't let anything happen to you." She waved her arm towards the big guy cleaning the mugs and he grunted. If that was supposed to make me feel safer, it sure didn't. He kept looking me up and down, probably disapproving of my outfit. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Bolin shift a little. When I looked over at him, he was looking at me with a furrowed brow. What was wrong? "Now, to get you a uniform. Lucky for you, we have one uniform left. It might be a size too big, but I think you'll be fine. Stay right here while I got get it." When she disappeared into a room behind the counter, Bolin pulled me close.

"Are you sure you want to work here," he whispered. "I didn't realize she'd be putting you on the Triad shifts." I bit my lip. Is that the sketchy people she was talking about? I'd had run-ins with the Triads before, but surely they wouldn't try anything here. Not with someone like Kuro around, right?

"It's fine. I need this job. I'll be okay." I felt like I was lying to him. I hated it. But I was a big girl and I could take care of myself. I didn't need some boy looking out for me. Though I really liked that he was concerned. Before he could say anything else, Rose returned with my uniform. "Here's your shirt. You'll have to get your own black pants and you can wear any shoes you like. So are we good?"

"Absolutely. Thank you so much! I'll be here tomorrow at 9." I smiled and shook her hand before we walked back outside into the sunlight.

"I really hope nothing bad happens. I'd feel terrible if you got hurt while working a job I helped you get." We found an empty bench at the edge of the pond in Republic City Park and sat down. "And hey, you can stay with us until you get enough money to get your own place."

"Oh, no. I couldn't. You've already done so much."

"Eh, it's okay. It'll be fun to have another roommate for a while."

"Are you sure Mako will be okay with that? You barely convinced him to let me stay last night. It's not like you have a lot of room for a third person in your apartment. Anyways, you barely know me. Why are you doing all this for me?"

"Ah, he'll get over it. And… well I don't know. I can't just leave a sweet and naïve girl like you out on the streets. I don't even know how you lasted so long. This is a rough city, and I've seen and heard things on the street you'd probably never imagine." A bit of red rose in his cheeks. "I wouldn't want someone as pretty as you getting hurt." I laughed nervously and bit my lip.

We sat and talked for a little bit before getting up and going anywhere. He told me about how his parents died when he was just a child and how Mako basically raised him. He kept going on about how Mako is the only reason he's still alive now. I just kept watching him, all the different emotions that crossed his face. I felt so bad for him, but I could tell he loved his brother more than I'd ever seen anyone love someone before. Just like this morning, he quickly changed the subject. I suspected this was probably a habit of his.

"Hey, let's go back to the apartment. I still need to train today. And I haven't seen any of your bending skills. Maybe if you're good enough you could be Korra's alternate for our team." I laughed. Yeah right. Like I'd ever be that good. I followed him back to the apartment, none-the-less, thankful that my luck had finally turned around.


	3. Moving In

**AH! I'm so sorry this chapter is so short but it just had to be this way for the next chapter to flow. Let me know what you think.**

**The next chapter is gonna be super long, I promise. THERE WILL BE MORE BOLIN! **

* * *

I looked up at the run down apartments in front of me and wrinkled my nose. I had followed the directions Kuro had given me perfectly, and I knew this was the right place, I just wished it wasn't. I sighed and shoved the paper with the directions on them in my bag and walked towards the front door. I really was grateful that Kuro had found me a place to live with a friend of his, but I wished it wasn't in Red Monsoon territory. I traced my thumb over the triad symbol etched into the door handle before pulling it open and walking inside.

The inside of the building was dimly lit and there was a tiny man with a mousey face sitting behind a desk with a row of mail slots behind him. I pulled out the form Kuro gave me to fill out and the man looked up at me with an annoyed look on his face as I approached the desk.

"So you're the new tenant, huh?" He scoffed and took the paper out of my hand. He definitely wasn't the most pleasant of people. He looked over it and then glared back at me. "You got the money?" I reached into my bag and handed him the 200 yuans for first month's rent. He snatched it from my hand and reached under his desk and pulled out a key. "You're on the third floor then. Rent is due the last Friday of each month. If you have any issues with the apartment or other tenants, you'll have to submit a report in the box by the front door. And I prefer never to be bothered." He waved me away and I gratefully turned and made my way up the stairs.

This was it. I was finally out living on my own. I thought back on the past week staying with Bolin. It had been amazing; he showed me all the best places to eat and helped me find some new clothes to wear. When I wasn't working we spent every day down town just hanging out and messing around in City Park. I particularly liked the few evenings when we would climb up on the roof of his apartment and just talk while we looked out over the harbor. It was so nice on top of the arena with the wind blowing up from the ocean. We talked about everything; I told him about life at the water tribe and he'd talk about life growing up in Republic City an orphan. He described some of his favorite pro-bending matches he had been a part of. Somehow I even managed to tell him about the arranged marriage I was going to be a part of. He wasn't as freaked out as I expected he would be; in fact he seemed proud of the fact I didn't go through with it. After a week of getting to know him, I realized we had a few things in common. For one, he loved water tribe food and even tried to get me to show him how to make some of the cuisine. He's not much of a cook though and burned the noodles to a crisp. Everything was always so perfect with him, and I was so happy things were finally getting normal for me. The best part was we even had time to practice my waterbending. I thought back to three days ago when he had brought me down to the training room and we had a practice duel.

"You're not half bad," he shouted as I flung a water whip across the gym at him. He dodged it and bended two earth disks at me, and I cart wheeled out of the way. Regaining my balance, I ran at him, creating two whips on either side of me, but he caught me in the side with another earth disk. It didn't hurt, but I pretended to fall over, clutching my side to play it up. He ran over to me and crouched down at my side.

"Ahh, are you okay? I didn't think I threw it that hard." I rolled over and bended a jet of water against the side of his face. He fell back on his hands, drenched and shocked. He looked so cute just sitting in the puddle of water and I couldn't help but laugh.

"I can't believe you fell for that!" He smiled back at me and shook the water out of his hair.

"Oh you're gonna get it now!" He got up and lunged at me, but I took off before he could catch me. He chased me all over the gym, weaving in and out of the targets they had set up, laughing all the while. Bolin hit me in the ankles with an earth disk right before I reached the mats and I fell over, landing on the soft padding. I rolled over onto my back, laughing, as he jumped on top of me and pinned me to the ground. "Hah! Now what are you gonna do?" I knew he was just being playful, but I couldn't help but enjoy the position we were currently in. I bit my lip and smiled up at him. Dirty thoughts ran through my mind as he sat on top of me, straddling my waist.

"Oops. We can come back later if y'all are busy!" Korra was walking across the room towards us with her hand over her mouth, laughing. Bolin blushed and quickly got off me.

"Uh, no it's fine, we were just, er, training." Bolin took my hand and pulled me up as Mako walked up behind Korra. He looked at Bolin's soaking wet figure and frowned.

"You didn't look like you were training. C'mon, Bo, stay focused. Stop messing around." Korra punched Mako in the arm and laughed.

"Lighten up, Mako, people are allowed to have fun once in a while."

"Well the championship starts in two weeks and none of us are ready for it and Bolin is just messing around all the time. If we don't start getting any better we're gonna lose the first round for sure." Bolin looked down, frowning, and scratched the back of his head ruefully.

"Sorry…" Bolin looked up to his brother so much. He hated if he ever did anything to upset or let him down.

I came back to reality as I approached the top of the stairs. My new apartment was supposed to be the last door on the left. There was a hazy light coming through the window at the end of the hall. When I got to the door, I pulled out my key to put it in the lock, but it was wrenched open before I could even touch the door knob. The girl standing on the other side of the doorframe was absolutely breathtaking. She had long wavy light brown hair and a thin figure. She was barefoot and wearing a low cut shirt with a pair of baggy pants.

"You must be Kisara. Well, come on in." Kuro wasn't lying when he described her. I had never seen anyone quite like her. I walked inside and she shut the door behind me and jumped onto the couch. "I'm Sayomi, although I'm sure you already know that. I'm not sure how much Kuro has told you. Did you meet Kato? He's the landlord, and an annoying one at that. I usually take the backstairs up to avoid him. Sorry the room is a mess. You don't mind, do you? I'm not big on cleaning so it always looks like this." She picked up a half eaten bowl of instant noodles and took a bite. "You sure are quiet," she said with a mouth full of noodles.

Not really, she just wouldn't shut up. "Uh, yeah, sorry. No, it looks fine in here. And yes, I met, Kato. If that was the rude man sitting at the front desk."

"Sure is. He's not much of a people person." She set down her food and walked towards a door in the left corner. "Here, let me show you your room." She opened the door and I followed her inside. It really wasn't much. No more than 10x10 feet. There was a bed shoved into the far right corner next to a window overlooking the street. It wasn't much of a view in this part of town so I didn't really care. The opposite side of the room had a dresser with a lamp and an adjoining bathroom.

"It's not much, is it?" I said, glancing into the tiny bathroom. She laughed and went back to the couch.

"Nope, but it's cheap. That's all that matters to me." I dropped my bag to the floor and slowly started unpacking. Not like I had much anyways. I put my few items of clothing in the top drawer and my money jar on top of the dresser. I had a few knick knacks left in my bag that I didn't really need to take out, but there was still something missing in my room. I dug the photo of me and my dad out of my bag. I really missed him. I propped the photo up on the table next to the bed and sat down on the mattress, staring out the window. Bolin had convinced me to write him a letter yesterday. It didn't really say much, just how I had met Bolin and he had helped me find a job and an apartment and how great everything was. I couldn't tell him about how I was basically homeless for a month. He could never know about that. I grabbed my pillow and clutched it to my chest thinking about what my dad would be doing right now. Probably down at the docks outside the city making trades with all the people at port.

A knock on the door brought me back to reality. I leaned forward and looked out of my room just as Sayomi opened the door to our apartment. A tall, pale man with a rather pointed face walked in. He was very handsome and very well groomed. I got up and walked to my doorway as they exchanged casualties. He had this strange confidence about him, like he knew how attractive he was and the effect he could have on people. He paused and smiled menacingly when he saw me standing in the door way.

"And who might this be," he said, pushing Sayomi aside.

"That is my new roommate. And please, Tahno, don't do anything to scare her away." She pursed her lips and reached for his hand, but he shook it away and slowly made his way towards me.

"Oh, please. Who would be scared of me?" I inhaled sharply as he pinned me against my doorframe and looked up at him nervously. "And what might your name be?"

"Ki-Kisara."

"Mmm, what a lovely name. I'm guessing you're a waterbender then. You must be if you're living here." He traced a finger down my arm and glanced down my body quickly before looking back up into my eyes. His eyes were so intense and lightly lined with eyeliner. "Are you any good?"

"At bending? Ye—well kinda." I held my breath as he leaned down and put his lips to my ear, whispering to me voluptuously.

"Maybe you could show me sometime, hmm?" He traced his hand back up my arm and slid his hand back behind my neck. I shivered at his touch, goose bumps rising on my arms. No boy had ever touched me quite so _sensually_ before. "I'd love to see just how much you can… _bend_."

Sayomi came over and grabbed Tahno, by the back of his shirt and pulled him off me. "And that's what I mean about scaring my roommates away. Stop teasing her!" I exhaled slowly and glared back at him, wrapping my arms around myself, trying to rid myself of the nasty feelings he gave me.

"What, I was only having a little fun." He looked back at me, glancing up and down my body. "Oh, and she liked it too." He laughed and I slid back into my room and sat back down on the bed. He may be _incredibly_ attractive, but I didn't like him one bit. He made my skin crawl in all the worst ways possible. I heard Sayomi arguing playfully with him as they went into her room and shut the door. It didn't take long before I could hear the bed squeaking and quiet moans coming from the other room. I walked over and shut my door before sliding to the ground. I covered my forehead with my hand, wondering if moving here was really a good idea.


	4. The Invite

**So, it's impossible to explain in the story without all the dialogue sounding weird. Just remember this is right after all the Makorra/Borra drama that happened. And Bolin is feeling like he's not worth anything. Kay? Kay. **

**Leave a review.**

* * *

"Miss, I'd like a hot cocoa please!"

I was working the Saturday night shift with Kuro and we were a little busier than normal for 1am. I whipped up a quick hot cocoa and handed it to the man as he dropped a bit of change on the counter as payment before dashing out. After dealing with the rest of the customers in line, I went back to the sink in the corner where Kuro was washing the dishes. I leaned against the counter, staring at the empty café.

"You know you're not getting paid to stand around right?"

"Oh whatever, you won't tell anyone." He laughed and threw his drying rag over his shoulder.

"Yeah well, we do need to mop and clean the tables while it's slow. Come on. Or I might just have to fire you." I smiled, rolling my eyes, and followed him to the mop closet before heading out into the lobby.

It had been almost three weeks since I moved into the apartment now, and I hadn't seen or heard from Bolin once since. I wished he would've come to see me. I missed him so much; his smile, his laugh. Ugh, and that smell. I mopped the floors and thought about going back to the apartment after my shift. Sayomi would be there when I got home. Her shifts ended around 3 am and she always seemed to stay awake until around 6 or 7 am.

Sayomi wasn't at all like I thought she would be when I first met her. It turns out she works at the gentlemen's club down the street from our apartment. "A girl's gotta make a living. And the pay is amazing." And from what she's told me, she's basically just Tahno's courtesan, only seeing him when he needed a realease. He sometimes invites her to watch his pro-bending matches, but otherwise, he only uses her for sex. I really hated the situation she was in, and I definitely wasn't used to being around something like that.

But besides all that, which was a lot to take in when I first heard it, she was actually a pretty cool girl. To be honest, I thought she was way too nice to be involved in anything like that. We had a lot in common and really had fun hanging out together. I talked to her about Bolin a lot, telling her everything about him. She thought it was cute, the little crush I had on him. Our favorite thing to do was argue over pro-bending teams. Of course, she loved the Wolf-bats. And I sat there every time stupidly defending the Fire Ferrets even though I had never even seen them play before. I had heard them though. Kuro and I had been listening to the championship rounds on the radio every shift at work since they started a week ago. In fact, just earlier tonight, was the semifinal. I wasn't sure what had happened, but Bolin and Mako seemed to be way off their game. They weren't fighting like they did in the first match of the finals, and they wouldn't have won if Korra hadn't have pulled some killer moves out in the last few seconds.

And then the Wolf-bats came on. And they took out their opponent in less than two minutes. I kept chewing on my lip listening to the announcer describe the battle. The earthbender and firebender for their team were both brutal, but no one was as intense as Tahno. I'm absolutely positive some of the stuff he did in the match is illegal by the way they described it on the radio. I know waterbending like the back of my hand, and I'm pretty sure he used some bloodbending during the match. Bloodbending wasn't common in the water tribe because of the fact it was illegal, but I had still seen it before and it wasn't pretty. To top it off, he managed to punture the helmet of the other teams earthbender. I had never seen any waterbending like his and I was absolutely terrified for what the finals would bring. Kuro quickly turned off the radio after that match. He looked over at me and smiled.

"Hey, don't worry. I'm sure Bolin can kick his ass. Plus, they have the Avatar. And she's a pretty badass player!" Kuro had become quite the Korra fan boy. I thought it was rather amusing. He would talk about her after every match we listened to. He really was a great guy; nothing like what I expected him to be. He was just a big softie and he enjoyed kicking out triads and other late night scum when they tried to flirt with me.

I went back to thinking about Bolin while I mopped the floors, which I tended to do in my spare time. I missed him so much. I don't even know why he wasn't visiting me, but I guess I shouldn't have expected much. I mean, yeah we were friends, but we had only known each other for a week. I shouldn't have expected him to continue to talk to me after I left. But no, we shared so much with each other. He should be visiting me. I angrily threw the mop back into the water bucket and Kuro looked over at me from cleaning the tables.

"You okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." I huffed and kicked the leg of a nearby chair. "Just a long night." I was so mad at Bolin. Even the few times I went to visit the arena, I wasn't allowed in. Toza would argue with me forever about bothering Mako and Bolin while they were training for the finals and after a while, I just gave up trying to visit. What if I could never see him again? I bit my lip and held back my tears. Don't be so weak, he's just a boy.

I sighed and went back to my spot behind the register and leaned on the counter. I still had two hours until I could go home and usually no one came in between now and 4 am. I pulled my book out from under the counter and flipped to where I last left off. I had found it in a little book shop down the road. It was a collection of classic earth kingdom fairy tales and I was absolutely in love with it. I was in the middle of the Tale of Two Lovers when a man walked up to the counter. I looked up, surprised to see Bolin standing across the counter from me, smiling. "Hey."

"Bolin!" I smiled and ran from behind the register and jumped at him, wrapping my arms around my neck. He laughed and spun me around. "Where have you been? I've been listening to your games on the radio. Y'all have been doing so great. You're going to the finals!"

"Yeah, I can't believe we made it this far."

"Well, I can. Y'all are great." He set me down and blushed. "Awwh, Bo, I've missed you so much. I thought maybe you just forgot about me or something. What are you doing out this late anyways?"

"Me and Mako and Korra were out celebrating the win tonight." He looked down and sighed. He seemed to be a little bit less cheery than usual. I wish I could know why. "I'm sorry. Mako had Korra and I training intensely every day after you moved out. I didn't have time to do anything else. I wanted to come see you so bad. It sucked, but I guess all the training paid off. I really hope we can take on the Wolf-bats next week." I lifted myself up to sit on the counter as Kuro walked behind me with a broom.

"Don't let Rose catch you sitting around."

"I won't tell if you won't." He laughed and prodded me in the back with the broom stick.

"Er, I don't want to get you in trouble," said Bolin.

"Oh, don't worry, you won't."

"How's the new apartment, by the way?"

We went on talking about the past three weeks on my own. I told him about Sayomi and my apartment complex and working with Kuro. Before I knew it, Kuro came over to tell me my shift was over. I quickly threw off my apron and grabbed my coat before shouting goodbye to Kuro. I grabbed Bolin's hand and ran out into the snowy street. We stopped on the corner when we got outside. The moon lit up the whole street and the fog from my breath was curling around my cheeks. I smiled up at Bolin; the whole situation just felt so romantic. He cocked his head to the side and smiled back at me.

"Would you like me to walk you home?"

"Hmmm, that's probably not a good idea. I live in Red Monsoon territory and they don't take kindly to earthbenders or firebenders." He frowned and stared at me. I really wished he could walk me home. It quickly played out in my head. We would get to the building and I'd invite him upstairs for some hot cocoa. We'd sit on the couch and casually snuggle. One thing would lead to another, and well… No. That would never happen. I shook my head to rid myself of the silly idea.

"Well, hey, I wanted to ask you something." He pulled me close, our feet crunching in the snow with every move. "So I'm allowed to bring a guest to the final round. I was really hoping you'd come root for me. I mean, you are my biggest fan girl." He winked and I just melted in his arms. He wanted me, of all people, to come stand on the sidelines and cheer for him. I fought the urge to lean in and kiss him. He was absolutely perfect and I'd give anything to go to the finals with him. I couldn't ruin it with a kiss.

"My first pro-bending match? Yes. Of course! I'd love to." He smiled and we just stood there staring at each other for a few moments. It reminded me of how he stared at me when he first saw me laying in the trash behind the arena. But this time, it made me feel like the only person in the world. He started to lean forward slowly, his eyes locked on mine. I thought maybe he was going to kiss me, but, at the last minute, he pulled back and bit his lip. He sighed and let me go. Why did he stop?

"We should probably both go home. I'm absolutely exhausted and Mako is making me get up early tomorrow to train some more. We have to learn some new techniques if we're gonna face Tahno." He turned to walk away, but I held tight to his hand.

"Bo, are you okay? What's wrong?" I had never seen him like this. I hated it.

"It's nothing. It's just been a rough week." He sighed and slouched his shoulders. "I just feel like I'm not good enough… for anyone. I wish I could be as good as Mako. And Korra…" His voice broke when he said Korra's name. Something was wrong, but I didn't want to pry. I pulled him into a hug and he hugged me tightly back. "I'm sorry. Everything just kinda sucks right now. Besides the fact that we're going to the championship. But even that kinda sucks too. The Wolf-bats are awesome. I can't believe what they did to the other team tonight. I don't know if we can win. I'm not nearly as good as I should be. Watch us lose, and it'll be all my fault."

"Bolin, stop. I think you're amazing." He pulled away and smiled weakly at me. "And I know you're gonna win the championship. And everyone is gonna be screaming your name and cheering for you. And I promise I'll be there, too, to cheer you on."

"Well if you're there, I can't lose, can I?" He laughed lightly and grabbed my hand. A yawn quickly escaped my lips and I rubbed my tired eyes. "Ah, I'm sorry, I'm keeping you from your bed. I'll let you go."

"No, you don't have to," I said, another yawn forcing its way out. He smirked.

"Yeah I do. Look I'll see you in a week. Mako is gonna be mad if I stay out any longer. He's probably already back at the apartment." He hugged me one more time before he turned and took off down the street. I watched him as he turned around the corner, waving bye one last time. And just like that, I already missed him again. What was wrong with me? He was only gone for a minute before the coldness creeped over my body. I wish he was there to cuddle with me and warm me up. I pulled my coat tighter around me as a cold breeze nipped at my cheeks and started walking home. There were a few people out and about now, leaving early to open their shops. As I entered Red Monsoon territory, a few triads nodded at me from a bench on the side of the road. All of the Red Monsoon's seemed to get along well with other waterbenders and tended to leave us alone as long as we didn't get in their way. I made it to the front door of my apartment and swung open the door. The lobby was empty and just as cold as it was outside without all the wind. I quickly climbed the stairs and unlocked my apartment.

Once I was inside, I threw my coat on the dining room table. It was freezing in my apartment and I quickly changed into my silk nightie and pulled on my heavy robe. I walked back out into the living area and looked at Sayomi sleeping on the couch. She had thrown all her work lingerie all over the living room after she got home and now was sprawled out in her silky red robe, limbs hanging off the edge of the couch, with a book lying open on the floor next to her. I made my way to the kitchen and warmed up some instant noodles on the stove. Just a habit I picked up after getting off long shifts at work. I heard Sayomi moving around on the couch and she sat up and stretched her arms.

"Man, it sure is cold in here, isn't it? Oh, that smells great! Gonna share with me?" I laughed.

"Sure." I split the meal into two bowls and went and sat on the couch with her.

"Anything exciting happen at work tonight? Oh did you listen to the matches today? Looks like our teams finally get to square off. Too bad the Wolf-bats are gonna win." We laughed and discussed the matches that had occurred earlier while eating our noodles. They instantly warmed me up and I felt so much better. She seemed pretty impressed with Korra's moves and talked about how she was going to give Tahno a run for his money. After we finished our noodles, I told her how Bolin came to visit me right before my shift ended.

"What? What happened? You haven't seen him since you moved out, right? Why? Did he say why he never visited? What happened? What did you walk about? Oh my spirits, you have to tell me everything!" She was nearly bouncing on the couch as all the questions poured out of her. I laughed and brought the bowls to the sink while telling her everything. When I was done, she just sat there smiling at me.

"Oh, he really likes you."

"What? No he doesn't. He would've kissed me if he liked me. But he didn't."

"But he almost did. He wanted to. I don't know why he didn't, but the fact that he almost did is enough to prove he likes you. Trust me, I know men." She squeezed my hands and squealed. I leaned back a little, she was always so over dramatic. But as she said all that, I couldn't help thinking she was right. I mean, we both seemed to obviously like each other. But still, why didn't he kiss me. I really wished he would have. Sayomi fell back against the couch, yawning. "Ah, I'm so tired. Let's go to bed! We can go shopping tomorrow for something cute to wear to the finals. Oh, yeah, I forgot to tell you I'm Tahno's guest." She winked and got up and skipped to her room, pulling the door shut behind her. I followed suit, and made my way to my room. Once inside, I threw off my robe and quickly crawled into my bed, pulling the sheets around me before I got too cold. After talking to Sayomi, I felt really excited about everything with Bolin. And I couldn't wait to watch him play in the finals.


	5. The Championship

I woke up today more excited than I had ever been in my life. I was going to my first pro-bending match ever! Rose was nice enough to give me the day shift today so I could go to the finals tonight. I could barely contain myself while I was at work. I kept talking to Kuro about it all day, asking him what it was going to be like and if it was anything like it was on the radio. He laughed at me all day as I went on and on about how excited I was. They were playing lots of talk shows on the radio about the match coming up tonight and taking bets and talking facts about each team. It was so exciting and all anyone in town could talk about all day.

It was around 1 PM and we had just caught a huge rush when the radio suddenly went static. All of a sudden, a deep and threatening sounding voice came on the radio. "Hello Republic City. This is Amon." The whole café went deathly silent and everyone stopped moving. "I hope you all enjoyed last weeks pro-bending match, because it will be the last. It's time for this city to stop worshipping bending athletes as if they were heroes. I am calling on the council to shut down the bending arena and cancel the finals, or else there will be severe consequences." After that, the radio went back to static. The music never returned and no one moved a muscle. What was going on? Did this mean the matches were cancelled? They had to be. They couldn't risk keeping it open and Amon attacking the whole arena. A mug shattered on the other side of the shop and brought everyone back to reality. Slowly, everything went back to how it was before that radio interruption. How could everyone be so calm? I didn't even know what to do. Kuro had to come tap me on the shoulder and make sure I was okay before I could take any more orders.

When my shift ended at 4, I ran straight to my apartment. Should I even get ready for the match? What was going on? Sayomi was sitting at the kitchen table with rollers in her hair, clutching a mug tightly when I got home. She jumped when I swung open the door.

"Hey Kisara," she said, wiping up the hot cocoa she had just spilled all over the table. "So, they're not cancelling the finals. I'm scared. I know I'm not a bender or anything but this whole thing just freaks me out."

"Wait, they're not? Why not!" How could they not! This was just ridiculous!

"Well the metalbending cops are planning on keeping a watch on the arena during the match. Supposedly their armor is strong enough to withstand Equalist attacks and they _do_ have control of the sky and water."

"That doesn't mean we're safe…" Great. My one chance to go see a pro-bending match and it gets ruined by stupid Amon. I know that was a childish way to look at it, but I couldn't help it. I had been so excited about it all week and even picked out a new dress to wear to the match. I collapsed on the couch and groaned into the cushions. Sayomi sat silently at the kitchen table, sipping her hot cocoa.

"We should still go. I know it's dangerous, but the metalbending cops are tough. And I can't let Tahno down. And what about Bolin? We should go." She made it sound like she was trying to convince herself more than me. I sat up on the couch and stared out the window. She was kind of right though. I needed to go, to cheer Bolin on. He seemed so happy when I agreed to go, I couldn't let him down. Plus I hadn't seen him since last Saturday night when he visited me after work. I wanted to see him again so bad.

"Yeah…"

Sayomi got up and put her mug in the sink before shoving me up off the couch.

"Well come on then! We need to get ready now so we won't be late!" I smiled lightly and dashed into my room. Sayomi could always change my attitude and make things better. I grabbed the new dress I had hanging on the back of my bathroom door and pulled off the tag. I picked it out specifically thinking of Bolin. It was a beautiful emerald color, the national color of the Earth Kingdom. It had a high collar and tight fitting sleeves that stopped just past the elbow. It went down to just above my knees and had slits up the sides There was a light green short sleeved Kimono that stopped below the waist that I had to wear over it and a gorgeous emerald colored belt to tie it all together. After putting it all on, I looked like a natural born earth bender. I finished it off with a pair of emerald green flats that Sayomi let me borrow and then made my way to the mirror to fix my hair. What was I going to do with it? I had only ever worn it in a braid. And I didn't know how to do all that fancy stuff the girls at the water tribe used to do with their hair on special occasions. When I walked in the bathroom, Sayomi was taking the last of the rollers out of her hair. She looked absolutely stunning. Her hair was perfectly wavy and she wore a gorgeous dark blue dress. My jaw nearly dropped when I saw her. Why couldn't I look like that?

After she was done with her hair, she shook it out and turned to me. "Oh, Kisa. What are we going to do with you?"

I huffed and looked down. I really had no idea. Sayomi smiled and walked over to me, standing between me and the mirror, and immediately took out my braid. She pulled out her makeup and starting coating stuff onto my face. After five minutes of this, she added some creamy stuff to my hair and took a step back, her face lighting up. "What? How do I look?" She stepped away from the mirror and turned to look into it with me.

"I had no idea you were a stone cold fox! You're missing something though. Hold on I have the perfect thing for you." She took off into her room, leaving me alone with the mirror. She was right though. After a little bit of makeup and alterations to my hair, I looked as if I could fit in at Republic City, if not stand out more than the rest. I had never seen myself look this way. I was gorgeous. I leaned forward, looking at my thick eyelashes and pretty pink lips, and I smiled. I had never felt so beautiful. Sayomi came back into the bathroom with a pretty green flower hair pin. She took my hair and pinned it behind my ear before stepping back and taking in her masterpiece. "Perfect!"

I laughed lightly and jumped forward to hug her. She really was the best. "Thank you so much!"

"Oh, it was nothing! Just a bit of powder and a little mousse. You're a natural beauty." She turned back to her room and left me blushing in the bathroom. She really thought I was naturally beautiful? I smiled and went into my room, grabbing a small bag to put my apartment keys in and my VIP ticket Bolin mailed me along with a small lipstick Sayomi had given to me. I tied it to my belt and met Sayomi in the living area.

After a long walk through the city and shoving through the big crowd outside, we had made it to the front of the arena. The metal bending cops were all over the place outside the arena, standing at every window and entrance. The ticket taker at the front let me and Sayomi in early and we went our separate ways, Sayomi to the Wolf-bat side and I to the Fire ferret side. Vendors inside of the arena nodded at me as I ran past, watching them set everything up for the crowd waiting outside. When I entered the arena, I noticed there were cops everywhere in here as well, checking the arena to make sure it was safe and staking out all the arena exits. One or two stopped me to ask where I was going before I finally made it to the locker room, which was a miracle in itself because I was pretty sure the first cop wanted to throw me out. I peered around the doorway and saw Bolin and Pabu sitting at a table while Korra, Mako, and another girl were talking on the other side. They were all already dressed in their uniforms and talking excitedly about the match. While I looked over at Mako, confused as to why he had his arm around this new girl and not Korra, Korra spotted me and waved.

"Hey, you made it!" She ran over and gave me a hug. "Awesome! I'm so glad you came. Apparently Amon's threat scared away some of tonight's crowd, but it still looks like we're gonna have a great turn out! And I'm glad he didn't scare you off!" She laughed and put her arm around my shoulders. "You really dressed up for this, didn't you?" I blushed and looked over at Bolin. He seemed to notice, too. He was just staring at me, smiling dopily, while Pabu nuzzled at his fingers. He didn't even stop until Pabu bit his finger for ignoring him.

"Ow! Bad Pabu. No biting!" He scratched the little ferret on the head as he said this. Korra laughed at him and sat on the bench in the middle of the room, his eyes following her as she sat down. I continued standing there as they all went back to talking. What should I do? I mean, I knew them all, but this wasn't my place to be. I had no idea what I should do. And I felt so over dressed. Bolin waved me over and I quickly went and sat on the seat next to him. He scooted his chair closer to mine and leaned on the table, smiling at me.

"You look… beautiful." He blushed and continued staring at me.

"Thanks," I whispered back. Pabu jumped in my lap and nuzzled into my stomach. I laughed lightly and rubbed his back. "Hey, Pabu. I missed you too!" I glanced back up at Mako and that other girl and looked questioningly at Bolin. "Who's that?" I whispered. Bolin turned to look at her and then turned back to me, chewing his lip nervously. When he spoke, his voice was quieter than mine.

"That's Asami. Mako's new girlfriend. Well not really new, they've been dating for about 3 weeks now. Sorry you haven't been around." He frowned at me a little before continuing. "Yeah, Korra has been pretty upset. She's a nice girl and all, but I'd rather he be with Korra." He made a face when he said this. As if he was forced to say it. He was being weird again, like on Saturday night, but he quickly changed back to normal. "Yeah, her dad is the only reason we got to compete in the finals. He paid for us to enter and bought us new uniforms."

"Oh." I looked over at her as she straightened out Mako's uniform and wrinkled my nose. She was being way to lovey dovey for my taste.

"Hey, what are you two whispering about?" Korra leaned over and put her arm around Bolin and he blushed, turning his eyes away from her.

"Oh nothing. Just stuff." He laughed lightly and shrugged her arm off. "Hey, so, are you excited about watching your first pro-bending match?" I immediately sat up straight and smiled. When I answered him, I nearly yelled.

"Yes!" I covered my mouth and giggled. "I mean, of course! I can't wait!" Bolin and Korra laughed at me.

"Korra was the same way when I brought her to her first match. Y'all are more alike than you know."

"Oh please. Korra is awesome. No one could be as cool as her."

"She has a point, Bo. I am pretty cool." Korra winked and leaned back. The rest of the evening went this way until the arena filled up. We talked about strategy and what they would do if they would win. They sounded so confident. I was so excited; I couldn't wait for the match to start.

Right before the match started, Bolin slipped a little suit on Pabu and gave him a little motivational speech. I laughed and he looked up at me.

"What was that for? Is he competing, too?" Bolin smiled and shook his head.

"No, you'll see. I don't want to ruin the surprise. But during the match, you're in charge of watching him, okay?" I smiled back and nodded. Pabu let out a little squeak in agreement. Korra walked out onto the starting pad and Mako kissed Asami good bye before he joined her out there as well. Asami left, and then it was just me, Bolin, and Pabu.

"Is she not staying to watch?"

"No, she is. But she sits with her father in the box seats."

"Oh."

"Hey," he lowered his voice a little. "I got you something." He walked over to his locker and pulled something from the top shelf and hid it behind his back while turning back to me. I smiled as he walked over and bowed, presenting me with a beautiful light pink rose. "For m'lady. For being awesome and coming to watch me kick some butt in the championship match." I giggled and accepted the rose.

"Why thank you kind sir. I shall cherish it forever." I curtsied and he blushed just slightly.

"Okay well I gotta go. You can watch out here from the resting pit." He grabbed Pabu and ran out with his teammates as the announcer began to introduce them. I clutched the rose in my hand and walked out to the railing, watching as they stepped onto the ring. Everything was so extravagant. There was flashing lights and the crowd was going crazy. The announcer's voice boomed over all the noise of the audience. After being introduced, Pabu jumped off Bolin's shoulder and did a few cute tricks for the crowd, but it was cut short when all the lights went out. The announcer came back on and introduced the Wolf-bats, and I glared across the arena at them, as they came into the ring so flamboyantly. Fireworks exploded all around the arena and I frowned at the audiences' response. Clearly they were the favorite. Bolin sent Pabu back across the platform before it extracted back under the resting pit and he hastily climbed up to my shoulder to watch the match. And just like that, the bell went off to signify the start of the match.

Everything went so fast; the Wolf-bats quickly charged at the Fire Ferrets, flinging elements before they even had a chance. Mako and Korra were the first ones knocked back into the second zone and I gripped the railing nervously. This was so intense and it was only 30 seconds in! Bolin did some fancy moves and managed to hit the opposing firebender with an earth disk after bouncing it off the wires, but Tahno came back and blasted Bolin into zone three. Some of the crowd immediately started booing and I looked around to see what was going on. Was that a foul? Why? The Wolf-bats moved into Fire ferret territory and instantly kept up the hard hits. Bolin was the first one to be pushed over the edge. As soon as it happened, I ran to the elevator to meet him at the bottom. The whole stadium was in an uproar, some people cheering and some people yelling in protest. I got to the bottom just as Bolin climbed out of the water. He took off his helmet and shook the water from his hair. He was fuming.

"Are you okay?"

"They're cheating! He iced me off the edge! That move is illegal and the refs didn't even call it!" We both looked up in time to see Korra and Mako get blasted off the edge. Bolin slammed his helmet against the ground angrily.

"Wait, Bo! Look!" Korra had grabbed a hold of the edge of the ring and had Mako by the collar with her other hand. She swung him up onto the ring before letting go and falling into the water pit. Mako kicked fire and knocked Tahno back into Fire Ferret zone one. The bell rang to end the match. "What just happened? Who won that match?"

"They did, but at least we're not out." He laughed excitedly and pulled Korra out of the water. "Awesome moves Korra!" We quickly climbed onto the elevator and ascended to the resting pit.

"It was all I could do. What game are they playing at? What's wrong with these refs?"

They quickly moved back into the ring and got into a huddle before starting the next match. The bell went off, and round two started. Immediately, the Wolf-bats went back to playing dirty. Throwing ice this way and that and making head shots with all the elements. I leaned over the bar, yelling in protest. Oh my, where'd that come from? I was really getting in to this. Round two ended and both teams had tied. They sent the teams into a tie-breaker and the Fire Ferrets won the coin toss. Korra instantly stepped forward, challenging Tahno. But, in all honesty, the match didn't last that long. She pulled the old one-two and distracted him with her fist while kicking water up from under him. He flew out the ring and glared at her angrily. I whistled in excitement! This was awesome! Round two went to the Fire Ferrets and I swung Pabu around excitedly. They could win! They could win the finals! I pulled on my hair nervously as the bell for round three went off.

The Wolf-bats were pulling out some fancy moves, but the Fire Ferrets continued to hold them off. Unfortunately, after 30 seconds in the ring, Tahno and his teams' earth bender teamed up and combined their elements, knocking all of the Fire Ferrets out of the ring simultaneously. The referee deemed it a knock out and claimed the Wolf-bats were the champions. What? That couldn't be possible! That was an illegal knockout! Even I knew that! The whole stadium yelled out in protest. They couldn't do this. I looked around at the audience as the Wolf-bats waved to the crowd. This sucked. Wait, something was wrong. All around the stadium I could see blue flashes. Something was happening to the metalbending cops. I looked over the railing at Bolin, Mako, and Korra surfacing in the water pit. Something bad was about to happen, I knew it. A man came out of the shadows from under the ring and pulled out some glowing blue sticks. Everyone was getting electrocuted! Korra tried to bend water at him but he stuck the sticks into the water and electrocuted them all before she could reach him. The rose Bolin gave me slipped from my fingers.

"Noooo!" I had never heard a more terrifying scream than the one that had just escaped my lips. I had to do something. I had to help! Pabu jumped off my shoulder as I turned to get onto the elevator. But when I did, I came face to face with an Equalist. He put his hand to my throat and zapped me into unconsciousness.

When I came to, Korra was shooting up through the ceiling with the chief of police. The ring was on fire and smoke was billowing up through a hole in the building that Korra had just disappeared through. I crawled to the railing and looked down to see Bolin and Mako coming up to the resting pit on the elevator with Pabu. I turned to the opening just as they reached the pit and leaned against the railing, terrified. What had just happened? What was going on? But of course I knew. Amon had succeeded. He had made everyone pay the consequences. Could I even still bend? I was too terrified to even try and find out. Bolin ran over to me as Mako took off out of the locker room. Where he was even going, I didn't really care; probably to check on Asami. Bolin pulled me into a hug as I sat there trembling.

"Hey it's okay. You're fine. We're all fine. Amon is gone now." He looked up to the glass ceiling of the arena then back at me. "Are you hurt? How are you feeling?"

"Sc-scared," I managed to get out through chattering teeth. "W-w-we can all still b-bend, right?"

"Yes. We're all fine. We just got shocked, that's all." He pulled me to my feet and held me tight, kissing my forehead. "Let's get out of here, okay?" He went to pull me out of the locker room and I followed obediently. The whole arena had already been emptied, except for a few stragglers and metalbending cops. I looked around and saw equalist flags had been unrolled from the ceiling of the arena and I shuddered. As we were heading for an arena exit, I stopped, remembering something.

"Wait. W-what about Sayomi?"

"I'm sure she's fine, she's probably already out of here. Let's go." He pulled on my arm but I wouldn't move.

"I have to m-make sure."

"Look, she's not even a bender. She's probably-"

"No! I don't care!" My voice echoed of the bleachers and my body instantly stopped shaking. How could he do this? Sayomi is my friend. He looked back at me with hurt in his eyes and I instantly felt terrible. I didn't mean to yell.

"I'm sorry," he said. "I just want you safe. I- okay… let's go." He started towards the Wolf-bats locker room and I ran along beside him. When we got to the door, I ran ahead of him and pushed it open. Sayomi was out on the resting pit crouching over Tahno, who was sitting cross legged on the floor facing the ring. She looked up nervously as we approached her and relaxed when she realized it was just me. I stared at them, confused as to what was going on. She must have seen the confusion in my face, because she answered what I was thinking.

"Amon took his bending away." She exhaled slowly and placed her hand on his back.

"No," I heard Tahno whisper. "He took away my life." He put his hands to his face and started breathing heavily. Bolin pulled me against him and I looked up into his face before looking back at Sayomi. I was scared he was going to hurt her. I really wished she would move away from him. But no, she moved closer instead. She put her arm around his shoulder.

"Tahno, it's oka-"

"Shut up! Get away from me!" He shoved Sayomi against the railing and stood up. "You don't understand! Bending was my life! You never had the ability to bend, how could you ever understand? You're just a stupid fucking whore!" She got up and moved towards Tahno, reaching out for him.

"Tahno, please…"

"Don't touch me! You only ever liked me because I was a pro-bender. And now I'm not so don't act like you care. Just stay the fuck away from me, okay?" He let out and aggravated scream and shoved past me and Bolin. I watched him as he stormed out of the locker room, knocking over tables and slamming doors. I heard Sayomi whimpering behind me and turned back to her in time to see a tear roll down her cheek. I had never seen her cry before, I wanted to help her. I walked towards her and grabbed her hand. I had no idea what to say to her. She wiped her check and started for the exit.

"I'm fine," she whispered. "I'll see you at home." She let go of my hand and ran out of the locker room. I looked up at Bolin sadly and he looked back at me with the same expression.

"You're gonna hate me for saying this, but I know how Tahno feels." What? What was he talking about? "A couple weeks before we met, I was kidnapped by Amon. He was going to take my bending away publicly, like he did with Tahno tonight. But…" He paused for a second and exhaled slowly. "Korra and Mako saved me before he could do anything. I haven't told anyone this, but I had never been so scared in my life. Tahno is right. Losing bending _is_ like losing your life. If Amon had succeeded in taking my bending, I…" There was a crash from above, cutting Bolin off, and we looked up in time to see Korra falling towards the ring. I gasped and grasped Bolins hand just as the chief appeared, catching Korra before she hit the arena floor and swinging her safely into the stands. "Come on!"

Bolin pulled me out of the locker room and towards where Korra had landed. Mako was already there, hugging Korra tight, and Bolin ran up to them and hugged her as well. I stood back and looked up at the ceiling, watching the giant blimp above the stadium float away. I was glad everyone was okay, but this was terrible. I was still trembling again when I overheard an airbender I assumed to be Tenzin (from what Korra had mentioned before) say something about Republic City being at war. This couldn't be happening. I fell back and sat on a nearby bleacher. Why'd I have to come here, to the city? I wanted to go back home, where it was safe. We never had wars back at the tribe. Not since the Fire Nation attacked during the 100 year war. Back when Avatar Aang was still learning waterbending. I didn't care about its stupid traditions and customs, I just wanted to go home. Bolin walked over and sat next to me. I looked over at him with tears in my eyes.

"Please don't cry." He said, grasping my hand. I sniffed lightly and tried my best to hold back my tears. After a few minutes of talking, everyone exited the arena and emptied out onto the street. It was scary outside. They had most of the crowd from the game gone, but there were a few people left running around screaming, being subdued by metalbending cops. Korra and Mako headed up to the apartment at the top of the arena and Bolin sent Pabu up with them before putting his arm around my waist. "Let's get out of here." He led me all the way to my apartment, into the Red Monsoon territory. I bit my lip nervously as the three triads that were usually so nice to me looked at us suspiciously.

"Bolin, you should go back home. It's not safe for you here. I'll be okay." I watched as they got up and walked towards us. "Please." Bolin followed my gaze and turned to face them.

"Look guys, I don't want any trouble. I'm just trying to make sure the lady gets home safely."

"I think you should leave," one of them growled. He looked back at me and I nodded at him before he turned and walked back towards the arena. I glared at the triads and stomped towards my apartment. When I finally got inside, I could hear Sayomi crying from inside her room. I lightly knocked on her door and waited a few moments before she opened it. Her makeup was smeared down her face and her nose was red and shiny. I immediately pulled her into a hug.

"H-how could he d-do that to m-me," she asked through sobs. "How c-could he think I d-don't l-l-love him?" I rubbed her back lightly as I brought her to her bed. We sat down and she continued crying onto my shoulder. Tonight was a disaster. Everything in Republic City was going to be so different now. Sayomi eventually stopped shaking and sobbing and sat up and looked at me. "Kisa, tonight was absolutely terrifying."

"Yeah…" That was all I could manage. Terrifying was a total understatement. Sayomi turned and buried her face in her pillow. I figured I should leave her alone and let her rest. It was pretty late now, and I knew I should try and go to sleep as well. As I made my way to my room and climbed into my bed, I replayed the whole day in my head. How could a day that started so great, end so terribly? It took me forever before I could finally get myself to fall asleep. Who knows what tomorrow could bring…


	6. Turf Wars

I woke up in the middle of the night to a pounding on my door. There was shouting outside my apartment building but I didn't care, that was a typical night in Triad territory. I rolled over trying to ignore it, but I couldn't ignore the overwhelming smell of smoke. I sat up quickly, suddenly alert, and looked around. My whole room was full of hazy smoke, but thankfully it wasn't overwhelming enough to where I couldn't breathe. Oh no, was there another attack by Amon? Why would he attack this part of town though? I realized Sayomi was the one pounding on my door, shouting my name and yelling about a fire. I jumped out of bed and swung the door open.

"Kisara come on!" She had a bag swung over her back and her maroon silk robe thrown haphazardly on her body. "The triads are having a turf war outside; we have to get out of here. The whole building is about to burn down! Grab your stuff! We have to go!"

How could this be happening? Amon had attacked the pro-bending arena only a few hours ago. Why were the triads suddenly in an uproar? Sayomi shoved past me and grabbed my bag from under my bed. "Hurry!" I rushed over to my dresser and started pulling clothes out of it. I didn't really have much, so I guess that's a good thing; less to carry. I grabbed my jar of money I had collected from working and the picture of my dad on my bedside table and shoved everything into my bag. Before we left, I pulled on my fuzzy water tribe boots and Sayomi threw open the window. A cold breeze blew in through the window as we climbed out onto the fire escape. The snow had long ago melted and the winter chill was colder than it had ever been, but the blaze of the building below us was enough to make my blood boil. I looked down at the scene below us, terrified at what I saw.

It was mad. Giant bits of earth, jets of fire, and streams of water were flying everywhere and flames were engulfing the bottom of our building. There were tons of people running around and bodies lying all over the street. I had never seen a fight this intense. Sayomi and I quickly climbed down the stairs and I could hear screams from inside the building. I wished I could help those people inside. When we jumped off the ladder onto the street below, everything seemed way more chaotic than how it looked above. Everyone was just kind of blended together. Triads and civilians, children and adults; it was absolutely terrifying. I couldn't tell who was on whose side, everyone was throwing elements at each other, and those that couldn't bend were just clutching their belongings and running for their lives. There was a little boy standing against the wall of the building opposite of us just crying. I wanted to help all the people so badly. I could heal or bend or something. Anything. But as I took a step towards the fight Sayomi quickly took off running in the other direction. So many people were just lying around moaning in pain. I could help all of them. I couldn't just leave. I heard Sayomi call my name from the distance. I turned around and saw her waving me over.

"What are you doing? We have to get out of here!" She ran back to me and grabbed me by the arm. "Look, we can't help these people! We have to go! These triads are going to kill us if we try to fight back. Please!" I knew she was right and I wanted her safe more than these strangers. She pulled on my arm and we started off away from the fight. As we rounded the corner a big chunk of earth hit Sayomi in the stomach and she slammed back into the wall. I ran over to where she had fallen to the ground. She clutched her stomach and winced when she tried to get up.

"Wait, I can help you."

"No, just get out of here! I'll be fine!"

"I'm not going to leave you," I looked at her sadly. "You're my friend! I can't just leave you!" I pulled her up to her feet and put her arm over my shoulder. I started carrying her but I didn't get more than a few feet before a ball of fire shot between me and Sayomi, blasting us in opposite directions. Two triads were running at me, their fists on fire. I looked at a puddle next to me, frowning. I wasn't going to have enough water to bend to keep them off of me. When they got close enough, they smiled and relaxed their hands, the fire going out. What were they going to do to me? I was scared. I didn't want them to hurt _me_.

Sayomi yelled my name and they looked her way. No, I had to distract them so she could get away safe. One started walking her way and I quickly bended the puddle into an ice spike and sent it through his shoulder. He yelped and fell against the brick wall. The other firebender turned and looked at me angrily. I backed away slowly as his fists burst into flames and I took off running down the street before he could do anything. I could hear him chasing after me. I was never going to get away. A fireball flew past my face, hitting an empty crate instead. I turned into an alley way and kept running. It was dark and narrow and if I got trapped here, no one would be able to help, but it was the quickest way to get to where I wanted to go.

The second fireball he threw was much luckier, and it hit me right in the shoulder. I yelled, falling into the brick wall and collapsing to the ground, clutching my shoulder. It was burnt so badly and I needed to heal it, but I didn't have time now. I watched as the firebender walked coolly towards me. I was done for now. This guy was going to kill me. I was so terrified; what could I do? I looked around for something to help me; anything that I could use to fend this guy off. I was just feet away from the opening of the alleyway and I could see a man hole in the street nearby. The firebender jumped on top of me, smiling menacingly. "Well, aren't you a pretty girl? It's too bad you're a waterbender, cause now I'm going to have to dispose of you." He traced a finger down my cheek. "Where were you trying to go, hmmm?" Before he could say anything more, the top of the manhole shot straight into the air as I bended the water out of it. The stream hit the man directly in the face, covering both of us with water, and he toppled backwards, sputtering. I took the chance to get up and keep running.

I was drenched now and freezing to death, but I needed to get to his apartment. I had made it two blocks away from the alley way and didn't think he was still chasing me, but I was too scared to stop and find out. I was so close and I couldn't stop now. My shoulder was killing me and there was a stitch in my side from all the running, but I had to keep going. Who knows what had happened to everyone back at the scene. I couldn't think about that now; the arena was in sight. I ran around the back and started pounding on the door the gym, screaming his name. He probably couldn't hear me from up in his apartment, but I had to get inside I knew someone would hear my screams.

"Bolin! Bolin, please let me in! Bolin!" Toza opened the door with an angry look on his face and started to say something, but I shoved past him. I needed Bolin. I ran through the training room and up the stairs and started pounding on the door to their apartment. I still didn't feel safe. I wouldn't until I could see him. "Bolin, let me in! Bolin! Please, Bolin!" I was trying to keep myself from crying. I was frantic now, gasping for air between every sentence. "BOLIN!" The door swung open and Mako was standing there, his face contorted in some weird expression. "What's go—" I shoved past him. Where was Bolin?

Our bodies collided before I could make it five feet into their apartment. I looked up into his face, his green eyes full of concern, and I just couldn't control myself. I started sobbing uncontrollably. I dropped my bag at my feet and buried my face into his chest. That strong earthy smell filled my nose and I finally felt safe. He wrapped his arms around me and held me tight, gently stroking my hair.

"What the hell is going on? Who is this girl?"

"Sorry Toza. She's a friend of ours."

"Well she can't stay here. It's the middle of the night! Is she some kind of floozy or something? And why is she—" I didn't hear what he said after that. Mako had taken him outside the apartment to talk and left me alone inside with Bolin. I was shaking uncontrollably in his arms and clutching his white tank top in my fists. He kissed my forehead lightly and whispered to me softly. "It's okay now. Stop crying." He continued to just hold me until my crying slowly ceased. He didn't ask any questions, he just held me close until I felt better, slowly stroking my hair all the while. After a few minutes of muffled arguing outside the door, Mako came back inside.

"She can stay, but Toza is furious. He really doesn't like being woken up in the middle of the night." Mako walked back to his bed and sat down. He propped his elbows up on his knees and dropped his face into his hands. "You really scared us. What's going on? What happened?"

I didn't want to answer him. I didn't want to talk about what just happened. I know I probably looked ridiculous, standing there in my water tribe boots and a flimsy silk night gown. I really did look like a floozy, and a badly dressed one at that, but why should I care. I just left everyone to die; left them at the hands of the Triads. And Sayomi… I covered my face with my hands and tried not to start crying again. What if Sayomi wasn't okay? The Triads were ruthless, even with women. I hoped she was still alive. Bolin loosened his grip around me and traced his hand over my burnt shoulder. I winced and looked up into his face. "Kisa, are you okay?"

I lost myself in those deep green eyes. I felt so safe with him now. "No..." I just wanted to collapse onto the floor and cry some more. I'm sure he expected me to say more, but I just couldn't. I continued to stare at him, my bottom lip starting to tremble. He picked me up and carried me to his bed. He sat down next to me and I rested my cheek against his shoulder.

"If you don't want to talk about it, you don't have to." Bolin squeezed my hand. I was thankful he was being so understanding. I knew I'd have to tell him about it eventually, but I didn't want to talk about it now. I lay down and yelped when the sheets brushed against my burn. Bolin quickly pulled me back up against him; I could tell he was worried.

"I'm fine…" I got up and slowly walked over to the sink on the other side of the room, Bolin hovering at my side making sure I wouldn't collapse. It wasn't that I was tired of running, but more of a combination of that and the sheer terror of the situation that had exhausted my body of any energy. I felt so weak, I wasn't even sure if I could heal my shoulder. I placed my hands on the basin to hold myself up and looked at myself in the mirror. The strap where the fireball had hit me was burned away, revealing a shiny, red, blistery shoulder. I was soaked from head to toe leaving my thin nightgown just clinging to me, showing every curve on my body. I suddenly felt very self-conscious. I didn't realize how inappropriate I actually looked. Glancing at Bolin in the mirror, I saw a bit of red in his cheeks. I could change out of my wet night gown after I healed my shoulder; I couldn't worry about how I looked right now.

I turned on the faucet and used my good arm to bend the water to my shoulder. Exhaling slowly, I hoped I would have enough strength to heal myself without passing out. I focused all my energy to the water rubbing against my shoulder. It slowly started glowing white and I concentrated on staying focused on that spot. When I was done, I barely had the strength to bend the water back into the sink. I was dizzy and could feel my knees buckling under me, but Bolin grabbed me by my arm before I could topple over. "Woah, let's go lie you down, hmm? How's your shoulder feel?"

"Fine now." It was still a little burnt, but nothing serious. It was nothing more than a minor burn now that would disappear in a couple days. Bolin picked me up, cradling me in his arms, and carried me to his bed. I snuggled into his pillow, grateful to be someplace comfortable as Bolin pulled the sheets over me. I wished I could've changed into something comfortable first, but I didn't care now that I was under the covers. Bolin sat on the floor next to his bed and rested his arms on the side. Mako sat in his bed across from us with his arms crossed.

"Can we all go to bed now? Some of us have to get up and work in the morning."

"Oh Mako don't be so insensitive."

"No. He's right. I didn't mean to wake you all up, I just…" I didn't really want to say why I really wanted to come here. It never even occurred to me that I would have to sleep here tonight. I just wanted to see Bolin. He made me feel so safe. I wanted to be with him, in his embrace. "Let's go to bed." Bolin glared at Mako as he turned out the lights and rolled over in his bed.

I pulled the sheets up to my chin as Bolin rested his chin on his arms. He moved one of his hands to grab mine and gently rubbed the back of my hand with his thumb. I stared at him in the darkness, wondering why he wasn't going to bed. After a few minutes of silence, he whispered to me. "Would you mind if I got in the bed?" I bit my lip shyly. Surely he didn't mean _with_ me. I sat up slowly, expecting to go to the couch, and he squeezed my hand. "Where are you going? I meant we could share it. Together." I laid back down and pulled the sheets over my mouth, trying to hide the smile that had formed. I nodded yes and he climbed under the covers next to me. I could hear Mako shifting around in his bed next to us, I'm sure he was uncomfortable with the situation, but I didn't care.

Bolin propped his head up on his arm and looked at me again. I felt like he hadn't taken his eyes off me since I barged into his apartment. I rolled over to face him and slid my hands under my face.

"What?" I whispered.

"Nothing." He paused and scrunched his eyebrows together. "I was just really worried. I was scared you had been attacked by Equalists or Amon; that maybe you couldn't bend anymore." I bit my lip. I didn't want to worry him. I hated making him feel this way. "I would hate if you had to experience what Tahno experienced. What almost happened to me a few months ago." His voice cracked and he laid his head down on his arm. I wanted to do something to comfort him; to make him feel better, but before I could think of anything, his expression quickly changed. He huffed and smiled at me. "But you're safe, aren't you? And you can still bend. And you weren't attacked by Equalists, right?" I wanted to answer him and tell him everything that had happened, but I still couldn't. When I opened my mouth to speak, all that came out was a muffled cough. Everything was just too fresh; like a wound. And talking about it would just feel like someone was poking at it, making it bleed more and more.

Bolin put an arm around my back and pulled me against him. Oh no, what was I supposed to do now? He laughed at the awkward, stiff postion I was in. "Relax, I'm not trying anything. I just want to, uhm, cuddle?" Even in the dark I could sense he was blushing, but not nearly as much as I was. I decided to just do what came naturally and I nuzzled my face against his chest. He wrapped his arms around me, holding me tight, and I closed my eyes. I had never been this intimate with a boy before and had no idea what to do. Back home, with our stupid traditions, we weren't even allowed to be alone with a boy unless it was a family member or for medical reasons. I inhaled slowly, taking in the moment. The warmth of his body, the sound of his heart beating under my ear, that earthy smell I always loved so much. It was overpowering. I couldn't take it anymore; I lightly rubbed my lips up his neck and planted a small kiss below his jaw line. My eyes flew open when I realized what I just did. He smiled and turned his face so our noses were just barely touching.

"What are you doing," he asked softly. I blushed and rolled onto my back, looking up at the ceiling.

"Nothing." That was so stupid, I shouldn't have done that. While I was silently chastising myself for being so dumb, he rolled over and placed a hand on my cheek, turning my face back towards his. Before I could comprehend what was about to happen, he leaned in and kissed me. It was soft and sweet, exactly how I expected him to kiss, and it made my whole body tingle with excitement. He pulled away slightly, but I wanted more. I put my hand behind his neck and pulled him back in, pressing my lips hard against his. I had never felt this way before, and it was amazing. I placed my hand on his cheek as he parted his lips and when his tongue met mine, a shiver went down my spine. He placed a hand on my lower back and pulled my body in against his. Everything was so perfect. After a minute or two, we finally broke apart. Our faces lingered together and I could feel his sweet, warm breath on my lips. I gently traced my thumb across his bottom lip and looked up into his eyes. He was staring back at me intently. Why'd he have to be so gorgeous?

I nuzzled my face back into his chest again and he held me tight. He kissed my forehead lightly and rubbed my back. His heart was beating faster now and his skin was much warmer. I held back a smile, enjoying the way I made his body react. I closed my eyes again, trying to avoid all the naughty ideas that came to mind, and I slowly started drifting to sleep. All the horrific scenes that had happened in the past 24 hours had long left my mind and all I could think of was Bolin. Before my mind drifted off into unconsciousness, he placed his lips to my ear and whispered, "I've been waiting a long time to kiss you like that. You have no idea the effect you have on me." I smiled lightly and kissed his chest, then slowly drifted off into oblivion.


	7. Meet the Parents

**IT'S A REALLY SHORT CHAPTER, BUT IT'S OKAY GUYS, IT'S NOT THE END OF THE WORLD!**

**THIS CHAPTER IS IN MAKO'S POV! **

**There will be more. I promise. 3**

* * *

I yawned and stretched my arms, shielding my eyes from the sun streaming through the opposite window. Who needed an alarm clock when the sun could wake you up at dawn every morning? I rolled over and looked at the clock sitting on the bedside table. I still had two hours until I had to leave for the day shift at the factory. The previous day still lingered in my mind. I laid in bed and thought about Korra. It always worried me when she took off to fight some Equalists. She really was quite stressful to keep around. I heard movement from Bolins bed and looked over at him. Kisara was lying on top of his bare chest and he had his arms wrapped tightly around her. I sighed lightly, looking at his white tank balled up on the floor. I shouldn't hate that he found someone to love, especially since he could finally get over what happened with Korra, but I didn't want him to get his heart broken. I know I can't protect him forever, though. And he's old enough now to learn from his own mistakes. And quite honestly Kisara really was perfect for him. She was sweet, funny, and they really got along so well.

I swung my legs over the side of bed and stretched my back. I guess I should start getting ready. I walked over to the sink and opened the mirror, grabbing my toothbrush and some paste. I hadn't even gotten a decent foam going before I heard a knock at the door. Not again. Who could that be? At this rate, it was probably Asami coming to see me because some Equalists kidnapped her dad or something. I spit out the paste and walked over to the door, wiping my mouth on my arm. Still, I had to be cautious. With everything that had happened in the past few hours, that could be anyone at the door. I cracked it open a few inches and peered out, surprised at what I saw. A tall, dark skinned man stood on the other side with some water tribe get up on.

"Can I help you?"

"Are you Bolin?"

"No. I'm his brother, Mako. Is there a problem?" I really hoped Bolin hadn't gotten himself into some sort of trouble again. Although, I'm not sure how he could, he didn't really have time for trouble with all the training we had been doing lately.

"I'm looking for my daughter. Perhaps you know her. Kisara?" _Shit_. He showed me a picture, but of course, I didn't need to look. My eyes shifted sideways, then back to the man as I closed the door a little. He couldn't find out that she was just sleeping on the other side of the door merely a few feet away. "I got a letter from her a while back and she mentioned she met a boy named Bolin. It took me a while to ask around, but they said I could find him here."

"Well, he's not here right now. And I don't know where your daughter is." I couldn't let him know that she was here right now. What would he think if he saw her lying there with Bolin? I heard Bolin shifting around and I knew he was about to wake up. He was never a heavy sleeper. I had to do something fast. "Okay, well I have to go get ready for work now. I'll, uh, come find you if I find anything out." The man put his hand on the door, stopping it before I could close it.

"Wait. I haven't even told you where you can find me."

"Mako, who's at the door?" _Damn it, Bo_. The man's eyebrows squeezed together angrily and I squeezed my eyes shut, wishing Bolin wouldn't have said anything.

"She's here, isn't she?" The man shoved open the door and I backed away slowly, watching as Bolin sat up in the bed, Kisara falling to the floor. She rolled over and looked around confusedly.

"What is- Daddy!" She looked up at her father and smiled for a second, before her face changed into fear. She pulled the sheet over her body and stood up clumsily. "Daddy, this isn't what you think. You don't know what happened last night." His eyes widened and she covered her mouth. "No, not like that. There were triads. And my apartment burned down. And…" She bit her lip as her eyes welled up with tears. "Daddy, I've missed you so much." She dropped the sheet and ran over to him, hugging him tightly. The angry look on his face disappeared and was quickly replaced with concern. He wrapped his arms around his daughter and held her tight as she cried into his coat. "I know, I've missed you, too."


	8. Brother Betrayer

**So this chapter is where I kinda move away from the story a little bit. AND IT'S STARTING TO GET A LITTLE MESSY, so I may not post for a little while, I don't know. Writer's block is a pain in the butt. I think everything is just getting worse and harder to write about and I'm just kinda trying to come up with a way to end it. BLAH! **

**Leave a review. If you still like the way this story is going, then I'll keep going.**

* * *

I had spent a good part of the morning sitting on Mako and Bolin's couch telling my father of the past couple months living here in Republic City. I even confessed to being homeless for the first month, and how Bolin basically saved me from starving to death on the streets. I told him about Sayomi and Kuro and working at the coffee shop. I thought he was going to be upset or disappointed that I had left him for such a petty life, especially since his first sight of me after two months of being gone was me lying in bed with a boy he never met. It didn't help that I was in my silk nightie and Bolin was shirtless. But, no, my father only seemed concerned. And grateful I was still alive. Apparently news of the Revolution led by Amon had gotten to the Northern Water Tribe shortly after he received my letter. He told me how worried he was and how he boarded the next trade ship out of town. He got to town last night right after the attack on the arena. They were talking about it all over the docks when he came in and he immediately started asking around about me. Of course, no one knew who I was, but when he mentioned Bolin, he started getting answers.

Bolin walked over and handed me and my father hot cocoa. I smiled up at him and pulled the blanket tighter around my shoulders before taking a sip. My father thanked him as he sat down next to me. Pabu was curled up asleep in my lap. Mako had left for work a little over an hour ago, and it was a little less awkward after he had gone. Not that I couldn't talk with Mako around, I just still had the feeling he didn't like me much. Bolin promised that was just how he always was, but I couldn't be sure. We sat in silence for a while, after everyone had said what they needed to say. Well, not everything had been said. Bolin brushed a stray hair from my face and I looked over at him.

"Kisa…" His eyes searched my face, not really looking for anything. "Can you tell us what happened last night?" I looked down into my mug of hot cocoa and exhaled slowly. I'd have to tell him eventually. I suppose I should just get it over with.

"The triads had a turf war last night. It covered nearly two blocks from what I could see, but it was terrible. Bo, there were so many bodies. So much madness." My mug shook slightly in my hands and he took it from me and set it on the table. I looked over at my father and he grabbed my hands with his. It was so good to see his face again. I was with the only two people on earth that I'd ever felt safe with. "Daddy, I could've helped them! If only I'd have tried." I explained to them how I left Sayomi and all those people and how the firebender had chased me half way here. I relived the whole night for them and when I was done, it took everything I had not to start crying again. Why did I have to be so weak? So helpless? Crying all the time and not being able to protect anyone I love. My dad looked at me sadly. He had been acting strange since he got here. I knew there was something he needed to say. He let out a small huff and set his mug on the coffee table before sitting up straight.

"Kisara, I want you to come home with me."

"What?" Is he serious? No consoling words or caring actions? I should have known this was why he came. To ask me to return home to the water tribe with him like none of this never happened. "No. I can't go back."

"Please. I miss you. Your friends miss you. You must come back home. It hasn't been the same without you there! Please. What about Akio?" I clenched my fists. How dare he bring up that stupid arranged marriage? That boy only wanted to marry me for looks. It was so stupid. "Please, Kisara. I—"

"No!" I shouted, rising to my feet. Pabu fell to the ground and ran under Bolin's bed. "I won't go back. Never! I don't want to get married to Akio! I live here now. This is my home. I've made so many friends and met so many people. And…" I looked over at Bolin, staring at me wide eyed, and then back at my dad. My father sat there looking dejected and hopeless. I sat back on the couch with my hands over my mouth. "I'm sorry, daddy. I just… can't do it. I'm happy here. I don't want to get married to Akio. I barely knew him and I never loved him. I hate all the stupid traditions we have to follow, and I can't go back. I know you're worried about me, but I can take care of myself. I'm getting better at bending. And I'm still one of the best healers from the Northern Water Tribe. I'll be okay, daddy, I promise." I looked down at my lap while he stared at me. "I'm sorry I left you," I whispered. Bolin rubbed my back lightly while we sat in silence. After a few seconds, my father spoke quietly.

"You've grown up so much. You were always so much like your mother. She never liked traditions either. You left for the same reasons she did." He exhaled slowly. "I know I can't stop you from doing what you want. I came here hoping to bring you back home, but I guess that was foolish of me." He got up and started for the door but Bolin stood up before he could leave.

"Wait!" I looked up at Bolin, surprised. "Can't I at least buy you something to eat before you go? I mean, you only just got here! I know a great joint down town that's not too far from the docks. Come on, don't go just yet."

"But I need to be back at the docks by 2."

"Hey, that's gives us plenty of time! Whaddya say? Foods on me." He winked and smiled at my dad, waiting for an answer. After a short pause, my father agreed and Bolin and I changed before heading into town.

It was a cloudy, windy day and the winter chill was unbearable. I wrapped my coat tighter around me as the breeze nipped at my cheeks. The streets were crawling with cops today and everyone seemed on edge. Bolin held me close as we passed by a couple triads being cuffed and thrown into the back of a cop car. Amon's recent display must have sent everyone into a tizzy. I was grateful when we finally got to Bolin's favorite noodlery, a place he had brought me many a time to quench my craving for water tribe food.

Once there, we squeezed into Bolins favorite booth while he ordered for us. While we ate, me and my father had little chopstick wars with his food like we always did when I was little. Of course he always won, but I had gotten so much better and really gave him a run for his money. After eating, we sat and talked for nearly two hours about nothing in particular. And when I say "we" I mean Bolin and my father. The topic jumped from life at the water tribe, to stories about me, to stories about my parents, to Bolin's past. He reluctantly told my father about how he watched his parents die right in front of him when he was only six. Although he didn't really go into details like he did with me. It must've been nearly 1 pm when we finally left and walked with my father to the docks.

We stood outside the loading area of the ship that brought him here. My father pulled me off to the side before getting on to the ship.

"You're gonna be good while I'm gone, right?" I looked up at him, smiling. It sounded like when I was 13 and he would leave to make a trade in one of the earth kingdoms. I always promised him I wouldn't get into any shenanigans with the other girls my age.

"Yes, dad, I'll be fine. Just like I have been for the past two months. You know I can take care of myself." Now it was his turn to smile.

"I really wish you would come back with me. The fishing boat is so quiet without you." Oh, how I missed fishing with my dad and all of his friends. Besides healing and waterbending, fishing was the one thing I was really good at. "I know you must stay. This is important for you. As much as it pains me to see you living alone, without me, staying here is the right path for you." He sighed quietly.

"I'm still your little girl. Just… a little grown up is all." He laughed and pulled me in to a hug. I didn't let go for a long time before I finally let him board the ship. It really sucked to see him leave. When would I see him again? Would I ever? Of course I would, I'd eventually go back and visit him. And perhaps he'd come see me again. He turned around and yelled at me to write him before they finally sealed up the ship. That was it then. He was finally gone. I mean, leaving him once was hard enough. Watching him leave me was completely different. Was this how he felt when I left?

I walked back over to Bolin and looked up at him as he flashed me a sad smile. At least I had parents. This must've been hard for Bolin, to see me hanging out with my father and joking around with him. I fell against him, hugging him tightly around the middle.

"I'm sorry."

"For what? I'm glad you got to see your dad. I know how much you missed him." Ugh. He didn't understand! I wanted to just apologize for the fact that he couldn't experience things like that anymore. That he couldn't run up and embrace his mother or father after two months of being away. He couldn't go fishing with his dad every single day. He didn't get to experience the hope of being able to see your parents again one day. I wish I could just say that without sounding stupid. I looked up at him and he smiled down at me as we started our walk back to his apartment.

Maybe it's better that I don't bring all that up. I know what it's like, to not have a parent. I always attributed my lack of beauty and style to the fact that I didn't have a mother to show me how to dress like a lady or fix my hair. She just disappeared one day when I was little. No one knows where she went or what happened to her. I took all that into account when I left the water tribe two months ago. And I know my father must've been incredibly distraught, but at least I left him a note. I know that wasn't enough though. I hated abandoning him like my mother did. Bolin and I had walked in silence the whole way home, mainly because I had been thinking about so much. When we finally got to the arena, there was a group of cops at the front. What were they doing here? We snuck around to the back and made our way through the training room and up the stairs. I entered the apartment last and shut the door quietly, my hand lingering on the door knob. Bolin came up behind me and wrapped his arms around my shoulders. I smiled and turned to face him.

"Don't be sad. You'll see him again." He was so sweet. I was really grateful that I had run into him; had the chance to meet him those few weeks ago when I was planning on sleeping in his trash. His face quickly changed into a mischievous smile. What was he up to? He pressed up against me, pinning me against the door. I looked up at him, eyes wide. "Now, about that kiss last night." I giggled, immediately understanding what he was doing.

"What about it?" I bit my lip as he leaned in and put his lips to my ear.

"I want more," he whispered. It was more sensual than I expected it to be and sent chills down my spine. He slid his lips across my cheek and rubbed his nose against mine. His lifted his hand and lightly touched his fingers to my neck. How could he make me feel this way? My skin felt hot to the touch despite the coldness of winter outside. His hands made his way to my coat, unbuttoning it slowly.

"More kisses?" I breathed against his lips. I was trembling lightly, not because I was nervous, but because I wanted him now more than I ever had before. What was happening to me?

"More everything."

He pulled my face to his and kissed me hard. I threw off my coat and wrapped my arms around his neck. Our bodies melded together as he picked me up, wrapping my legs around him. He carried me over to the bed and dropped me on to it with a soft thud before crawling on top of me. Everything was moving so fast, I didn't know what to do. He leaned in and kissed me softly on my neck. I closed my eyes, moaning softly as I knotted my fingers in his hair while his tongue traced up my neck. I was so relaxed and just wanted him to do as he pleased with me. Before I knew it, we had both removed our shirts and thrown them onto the floor. Our bodies were a tangled mess and his bare skin against mine felt so wonderful. Bolin rolled onto his back and pulled me on top of him, our lips pressed firmly together. We kissed like we did last night, but this time with more intensity. His hands moved up and down my back while mine clutched the pillow resting behind his head. Our tongues danced together and it felt like this moment was going to last forever. Finally, I pulled my lips from his and trailed them down his neck before planting a small kiss on his chest. He slid down my bra strap and lightly kissed my shoulder. It was so sweet and gentle, yet I felt like it was sending all the wrong signals. Oh no. What was I doing? I wasn't ready for this; for any of this. I hid my face into his neck and sighed.

"What's wrong," he asked, running his fingers through my hair.

"It's nothing. I just… I don't want to, uh, sleep with you. You know. I mean. I want to. I just… not now. I… I…" He laughed lightly.

"It's okay, I understand. And I wasn't planning on it." I propped myself up on my elbows and looked down at him. He bit his lip and smiled at me, his eyes moving around my face like they did this morning. "You're so beautiful, you don't even realize it." I looked down at his chest and blushed. Really? That's what makes me shy? Not the fact that I'm lying on top of the most gorgeous boy I've ever met while half naked. No, that doesn't make my stomach full of knots and butterfaires. But sweet words and compliments are what get me. I laughed lightly at my logic.

Suddenly, there was a click at the door. I sat up quickly as Mako opened the door to the apartment and walked in. He stopped and stared at us, a blush rising in his cheeks.

"Mako! Uh, you're home early!" Bolin had wrapped his arms around me as if he was trying to hide me. I had my face buried into his shoulder, holding back laughter. I couldn't help it; the whole situation was just too funny. Mako inhaled slowly and hung his keys on a hook by the door.

"Yeah well they had a riot at the factory and had to send us home. If I would've known you two were fooling around I would've taken a detour at the market before coming home." Mako made his way to the fridge and while he had his back turned, Bolin grabbed my tunic off the floor. I quickly put it on as Bolin got up and followed Mako to the dining area.

"What do you mean 'a riot?' What were they rioting about? What's going on, Mako? Is it Equalists?"

"I figured you two hadn't seen a paper today." He pulled a newspaper out of the back of his pants and tossed it on the kitchen table as he took a swig of leechi juice. As Bolin sat down to read it, I got up and walked over behind him, reading the headline over his shoulder:

AMONS ATTACK SENDS CITY INTO AN UPROAR

Below it was a picture of a scene that reminded me of the attack that happened at my apartment last night. Buildings were burning and triads were fighting element with element. They didn't even care enough to hide the dead bodies in the photo. Mako sat down in the chair opposite Bolin.

"Apparently the whole city is just going crazy. There were three turf wars last night. The article said it was because each gang is trying to gain more territory, like they're trying to build an army for war. And everyone else in the city is just freaking out. People keep suspecting random people to be Equalists and cops keep having to arrest innocent citizens based on crude accusations. A lot of people at the factory were talking about packing up and leaving town."

_That doesn't sound like a bad idea. _I tightly gripped Bolin's shoulder. Why did this have to happen? Benders and non-benders always got along so well back home. Why was it not the same here? I exhaled slowly, looking up at Mako, waiting for more answers. He just looked back at me, smiling weakly.

"Is that what happened to you?" He said, gesturing to the paper. I nodded slowly. "Sorry." He crossed his arms and looked down. "How long have those cops been outside the arena? I have a feeling something bad is about to happen to this place."

"You mean worse than what happened last night?" Bolin scoffed. "They were here when we got back around two. What do you think they're going to do?"

"I don't know." He rubbed his chin lightly and looked up at us. His eyes narrowed as if he suddenly realized something. "So, I guess she's staying here with us again tonight, huh?" He sounded slightly annoyed. Bolin scrunched his face up irritably.

"Uh, yeah. Her apartment burned down! Where else is she supposed to stay if not with us?"

"I don't know, maybe with Korra? She's her friend, too."

"Oh please, we have plenty of room. Stop being such a jerk. Why don't you want her staying here, huh? Are you just mad you can't sleep with your beautiful Asami?"

"Ugh. Fine. She can stay. But could you at least keep it down at night? Some of us actually like to sleep when the sun goes down."

"Whatever. You're just bitter because your girlfriend is such a prude and won't even kiss you." They both rose to their feet angrily. What was going on? I backed up against the wall and watched them nervously. Why were they fighting?

"Th-that's not true! You're just not over the fact that Korra picked me over you!"

Bolin breathed in heavily. What was Mako talking about? Bolin and Korra? They liked each other? I swallowed hard, finally understanding Bolin's strange behavior during the past week. How could he not tell me this? I looked up at Bolin. He and Mako were staring at each other intensely. I was scared Bolin was about to do something to Mako; punch him or something. They both had their fists clenched tightly and Bolin's muscles were bulging out of his skin. I had to stop him before he did something stupid. I walked forward slowly and placed my hand on his arm.

"Bo?" He shook me off and looked down. Mako turned and walked away, his fists bursting into flame before he relaxed his hands. "Bo, what is he talking about?" He stayed facing away from me and exhaled slowly. He brought his arms up around him and rubbed his thumbs against his biceps.

"You know those three weeks I didn't come see you," he whispered. As soon as he started talking I wished I didn't ask. I didn't want to know. "Korra and I were hanging out a lot. Especially since Mako was always gone with Asami. I really liked her. We even went on a date." He turned to face me, his eyes watering up. "She kissed Mako. And, that's how it ended. The next night I came to see you. Er, not because it didn't work with Korra. I… missed you. So much. Please don't be mad at me. I really like you! I have since the first time I saw you. Things were all just confusing, but I know how I feel now. And I want you, not Korra. Please, don't hate me."

"Bo, I don't hate you. I never could." I hugged him tightly. "Please don't cry." I hated that I was comforting him over something that happened with another girl. But I didn't care. I wanted him happy. He deserved nothing more. He's the most genuine and kind hearted person I've ever met. Why would anyone do something to make him _this_ upset? But Korra wouldn't do that on purpose, would she? I'm sure she had her reasons. Even she wouldn't go on a date with Bolin if she had feelings for Mako, right? But she did. Why would she do something so stupid? I pulled up a chair and sat next to Bolin, holding his hands in mine. Mako stayed on the other side of the room, brooding behind a book.

Our long bout of silence was interrupted by a knock at the door. I looked up at Bolin then across the room at Mako. He shrugged his shoulders and crossed the room to open the door.

"Excuse me, sir, but do you live here?"

"With my brother, yes. What's going on here?"

"We're going to have to ask you and you brother to evacuate the premises." Bolin and I quickly got up and walked over to the door. There was a cop standing at the door with some papers in her hand.

"Why? We live here. We haven't done anything wrong!"

"We have orders to escort you off the premises if you don't comply."

"No. We're not leaving! You can't force us to leave our home!"

"I'll give you an hour to pack your things and leave, and if you're not gone in an hour, we'll have to escort you to the station." The cop turned and walked down the stairs before anyone could say anything else and Mako slammed the door.

"Fuck! They can't be serious." Bolin looked up at Mako with a fearful expression.

"Mako… Wh-what are we going to do?" Mako turned and put his hand on Bolin's shoulder, looking him in the eye.

"Hey Bo, it's gonna be okay. Go pack your stuff, now. I'm gonna take care of us, okay?" Bolin nodded and went to grab a duffel bag from under his bed and started throwing things into it while Mako did the same.

"Wait. What's going on? Are you actually leaving? Do you know where you're staying tonight?"Mako looked over at me a bit annoyed.

"We'll be fine. I'm going to go to Asami's and see if we can stay there. I've been there before, they have plenty of guest rooms." But what about me? Mako didn't even include me in this plan. Or he didn't sound like he was. I walked over to Bolin's bed and pulled my bag out from under it. Everything was still in it so I didn't need to pack; instead I just sat on the couch watching them pack while I bit my nails nervously. I guess I was homeless again. Sleeping on the street wasn't so bad, I could do it again. Or could I? With everything that's been happening, I'd be lucky to survive the night, I'm sure. Perhaps leaving with my dad was a better plan after all.

"Okay, that's everything, you ready Bo?" Mako swung his bag over his shoulder and Bolin did the same. I got up slowly and put on my coat, watching Mako run out the door. Bolin stood in the doorway watching me. "Come on, let's get out of here before those cops come back." I flashed a weak smile and walked down the stairs with him. Do I dare tell him what I'm even thinking? No, it'd probably be better not to trouble him with such information.

Once we were out of the building, the cops sealed off the door and put up some caution tape. They still wouldn't tell us what was going on; they just wanted us away from the building. We walked for nearly an hour before making it to a part of town I had never seen. It was so extravagant and rich, everything lit up and classy white. We stopped in front of a beautiful mansion with massive golden gates in front with a giant "S" in the middle. Mako waved at a guard at the front and he opened the gates to let us in. I had never seen such a place in my life. Everything was so neat and organized; I could only imagine what the inside looked like. When we got to the front door, Asami ran straight up to Mako and hugged him tight, planting a small kiss on his cheek.

"The guards told me you were here. Oh, Mako, what's going on? Are you okay?"She looked Mako over like he was a small child that had just tripped and fell and she was checking for a cut or bruise.

"Yeah we're fine. We just don't have any place to stay. They locked up the arena; I'm sure it has something to do with Amon's attack."

"Oh, well you and Bolin are welcome to stay anytime. I'm sure my father will be fine with it, we have plenty of room."

Bolin grabbed Mako by the collar and whispered something into his ear. Mako straightened up and scowled at him while straightening his shirt.

"No, Bo. I can't…"

"Please!" Bolin glared at Mako and he sighed and turned to Asami, smiling at her sweetly.

"You wouldn't happen to have any room for Kisara, would you?" Asami turned and looked at me like she had never seen me before a day in her life. She fidgeted with her hands for a moment, mumbling and making unsure noises.

"Uh…"

"No." I blushed and put my hands up to stop her. "It's fine. I'll find somewhere else to sleep tonight. I'll be fine."

"Are you serious?" Bolin looked at me hysterically. "You're not sleeping on the streets tonight! It's not safe. Asami please!"

"But I… I'm sorry but I don't really know her. And neither does my father. It'll be hard enough to convince him to let you two stay. Please don't make me do this."

"Agh! Are you fucking kidding me?" I looked up at Bolin nervously. I had never heard him curse before.

"Bo, please!"

"No, Mako, shut up! If she can't stay here, then I'm not staying here. Come on, Kisa, we're going to stay with Korra." He grabbed my hand and quickly took off away from the mansion. Mako called after us and I turned in time to see Bolin earthbend a wall of dirt between us and his brother, destroying the beautiful lawn. Why was this happening? I felt like I was ripping Bolin and his brother apart. I hated this. I stared at Bolin as he pulled me out of the fancy neighborhood and we headed towards the water. He looked so distraught. This whole day was just a big mess. How could so many bad things occur at once; the finals, Amon, the Triads, Sayomi, my father, ending up homeless _again_, and now this? Could things get any worse? I suppose only time could tell at this point…


	9. Nightmares and Comforts

Somehow, I was alone again. And I was running from something. Why? I looked back and saw the firebender from the turf war chasing me. I panicked and started running faster. Why was he chasing me? What was happening? Was this even real? In the distance I could see Bolin just sitting on the ground. What was he doing? He was so far away, and I could barely tell who it was, but I just knew it was him. I had to get to him. I kept running despite the fact I could feel myself growing weaker and more exhausted. Jets of fire kept streaming past me close enough for me to feel them but not close enough to touch me. I had to get to Bolin. I was close now. I was only feet away when something suddenly tripped me. I don't know what it was or where it came from, but my body hit the cold floor hard. I screamed out for Bolin, terror in my voice. He continued to just sit there like there was a thick piece of glass separating us. He couldn't hear me or see me. He had no idea I was here, about to be attacked. I turned to face the triad, to face my death or whatever may become of me. But it wasn't the triad. I looked up fearfully at Mako towering over me and a menacing smile broke across his face.

"Well, well, aren't you a pretty girl," he said, crouching over me. He straddled me and lifted his fist over his head, flames licking at his knuckles. I couldn't get away and I couldn't even fight back, my whole body was just frozen. His eyes suddenly glowed red and his voice changed to something deep and menacing. When he spoke, his voice was the exact replica of Amon's voice I had heard on the radio those few days ago. "You must pay the consequences, now." He laughed and looked up at where Bolin was sitting. I turned to follow his gaze, shocked at what I saw. Korra was there now. And they were locked in a tight embrace, Bolin's arms cradled her the same way they did me. They stared at each other for a moment before pressing their lips together in a passionate kiss.

"Bo!" I sat up, panting and sweating. Where was I? What was happening? I tried to calm myself as I took in my surroundings. Now I remember; I was at the Air Temple. It was still dark outside, but who knows what time it could be. I looked across the room and saw Korra curled up in her bed, fast asleep. Thank spirits I didn't wake her. I didn't want to tell her what I just dreamed about. I could still picture it, Bolin and Korra wrapped together, in love. I wanted to hate her right now, because of that stupid dream, but I couldn't. She had been so nice to let us stay, and she really was quite excited to have us here. She had convinced Tenzin to let me stay in her room with her and we had stayed up till nearly midnight just talking about boys, Amon, waterbending, and everything you could imagine girls would talk about. Well, not really. Neither of us seemed to be like most girls. It was really quite silly how alike we really were. And after everything that's happened, I still couldn't hate her. She was the only girl friend I had. I heard the door to our room slide open slowly and someone peaked their head in.

"Kisa?" Bolin's sweet voice travelled softly across the room.

"Bo!" I got up and tiptoed across the room, making my way out into the hallway before quietly sliding the door shut. I hugged him tight, whispering against his bare chest. "What are you doing still up? What time is it?"

"It's nearly 3 in the morning. I couldn't sleep. Are you okay? I heard you say my name through the wall. Is something wrong?"

"Oh… that. It was just a nightmare."

"About me?" He looked down at me, frowning. "Wanna tell me about it? Come on, we can talk in my room." He pulled me to the room next to Korra's and we sat on the bench built into his window. The view of the city from the island was absolutely breathtaking, especially at night. Looking at it from here, you'd never even know the chaos that was probably unraveling on the streets at this very moment. All you could see was the lights twinkling from windows all around the city and lit up towers and the pro-bending arena. Bolin smiled at me, his features more pronounced in the moonlight. He grabbed my hand and pulled me against him, my body falling against his chest. I felt so much calmer now, so much more relaxed. I let myself go while I listened to the steady rhythm of his breathing. "Wanna tell me what's wrong?" I looked up into his eyes and then back down at his chest. I really didn't want to talk about it. Not even with him. I traced my fingers in little circles on his chest. I didn't want to say how I didn't trust his feelings for Korra. But then again, he swore he didn't like her anymore. People lie all the time though. I had to tell him how I felt. If I kept it to myself, it would just drive me crazy and I'd never trust him; especially not since we're living here with her now.

With one slow exhale, I managed to spill everything that happened in the dream. Starting with being chased by the triad all the way to the part where Bolin kissed Korra. It all rushed out of me so fast and left me feeling more emotional than when I woke up. I bit my lip and squeezed my eyes shut when I finished. We sat in silence for a bit, and I knew he was thinking about what to say next. I rolled over and sat up on my knees facing him.

"Do you still like her, Bo?" He hesitated for a second, his eyes flickering away from mine quickly.

"N-no. Of course I don't."

"Do you mean that?" He looked back at me sadly. I could already tell what he was going to say next.

"I-I don't know. I mean… I'm so sorry. Yes, I still like her. But nothing will ever happen between us. Besides, I like you. More than I like her. I, uh, I don't know how to say what I want to say. I like both of you. But I like you more. Way more. I really, really like you."

"So the reason you wanted to stay here instead of with Asami is because of Korra?"

"No," he almost shouted. He lowered his voice. "No… Korra is our friend. We had no place else to stay. Please, please don't think there's anything between me and Korra. We'll never be more than friends. Ever. It's not like how I feel about you at all. I lo-" He bit his tongue and shifted his eyes. "I, uh, I mean, I really, really like you. A lot. More than I've ever liked anyone." He bit his lip nervously. I heard what he was about to say and I really couldn't hide the smile that had stretched across my face. I know he hadn't actually said it, and maybe he didn't really feel that way about me, but everything he said seemed so sincere. No boy has ever said anything so compassionate to me. I leaned forward on my knees and wrapped my arms around his neck.

"I really, really like you too, Bo. A lot, a lot." We both giggled and he hugged me back. My heart was beating so fast I thought it was going to leap out of my chest. It felt so insane to be talking about our emotions towards each other and it made me feel so incredible that we both felt the same way about each other. I suppose I always knew how he felt, but to hear him say it, it really got my heart going. I couldn't help feeling like I wanted more though. I mean, I don't know how, but I just felt like I liked him so much more than what I was expressing.

There was so much more that needed to be said, and I didn't know where to start. I still felt terrible about causing a rift between him and his brother and needed to get that out as well. I leaned back and said this to him, hoping he wouldn't be upset. And, thankfully, he wasn't.

"No! It's not your fault. It's not him I'm mad at, it's stupid Asami! How could she just do that to you? She only cares about Mako and it's not fair." He huffed and gazed out the window. "This is the first night I've ever slept without Mako. Heh, I guess that's the reason I can't fall asleep actually. It feels so foreign, to be sleeping in a room by myself. He's always been there for me. I wish I wouldn't have left him like that. Or treated him that way. It wasn't his fault. He's always looked out for me. He just treats me like I'm still a little kid, though. He thinks he knows what's best for me. I'm not a baby anymore and I know how to take care of myself. I don't need him controlling my life anymore." He pulled his eyebrows together determinedly, but quickly relaxed them. "Still, I don't want him to leave me just yet. He's the only family I have. I'm not ready to do things on my own." His bottom lip quivered lightly and his eyes watered slightly. "I miss my mom and dad so much right now. I wish they were still here. Everything just sucks. I'm scared of what's going to happen tomorrow. And a week from now. And a month from now. Just everything. And Mako is probably so mad at me right now. I wish he was here with us, too." He hugged his knees to his chest and looked at me, a tear rolling down his cheek. "I wish everything was back the way it used to be when I was little. Everything is so hard now. And I don't know what to do. The only thing I'm sure about anymore is you. And keeping you safe. But I'm scared I won't be able to do that either." I watched him as he rubbed his eyes with his hands. I had no idea he felt this way about everything. How was he holding all of that in for so long? I would never be able to bear it. I leaned forward again, hugging him clumsily over his knees. I didn't know what to say, but I had to say something. I hated seeing him so upset.

"Bo, it's okay. I can't promise what tomorrow will be like, but right now we have each other, and that counts for something, right?" That sounded so stupid. I was never good at cheering people up. What a horrible thing to say. I made it sound like tomorrow is just going to be horrible no matter what happened. I was waiting for him to push me away and keep crying, but instead he dropped his legs over the side of the window sill and pulled me into a tight hug against his chest.

"I love you so much, Kisa." He shuddered against me and I exhaled sharply.

"I love you too, Bo." He what? I what? What just happened? Did he say he loved me? Wait, I said it back? Did it really just happen? That couldn't have just happened. I imagined it right? I had to say it again, just to be sure. But if I imagined it, I would sound so stupid. No, it was real. It had to be. I'm not that crazy, I know I'm not. I was going to have to say it again. I didn't care if I sounded stupid, I knew it's how I truly felt. "I love you so, so much." He laughed lightly and squeezed me tighter. All those worries I just had seemed to drift away. I suddenly forgot where I was or what we were doing or what we were talking about. He loved me. And I loved him. I don't think I would ever be happier with anyone than I was with Bolin. He let me go and I pulled away, and we stared at each other for a moment. He sniffed and wiped his nose on the back of his hand and I giggled quietly. "What now?" Even behind his tear soaked cheeks, he looked so sexy in the moonlight, the shadows accentuating his abs and facial features. I bit my lip, staring at him longer than I should have. When I looked back up at him, he was smiling at me naughtily. He seemed to be sharing the same idea as me.

He snaked his hand under the buttons of the shirt he lent me to sleep in, popping open the top of the shirt. Somehow I had forgotten exactly what I was wearing. I didn't notice that Bolin's day shirt had slid up my hips letting my panties peek out the bottom. I guess I just didn't really care how I looked when he was around. Maybe I secretly wanted to dress so whorishly around him. And I definitely didn't care now that he had started kissing my neck, his hand lightly cupping my bare breast while his other arm wrapped around my back. But I did care, and I liked it. I gasped lightly and wrapped my arms around him, closing my eyes and letting him take me. He slid his other hand around my back and picked me up, carrying me to his bed. He set me down and pulled the shirt open more, the bottom button popping off. I squeezed my legs against his waist as he kissed down my chest to my breast, sucking on it lightly. I moaned softly and my hips instinctively pushed up against him. His hand slipped to my waist and he held me down as he nibbled lightly. I light suddenly came on in the hallway and I heard a shuffling noise.

"Bo, shhh, we're gonna get caught." I whispered through unsteady breathing. He traced his lips back up my neck and slid his hand back up to my breast, whispering back.

"Only if you don't shut up." I felt something hard rubbing against my leg through his pants and I bit my lip. If anyone heard us and came in here now, we'd never be allowed to stay here again. Someone shuffled into the bathroom across the hall and the door slid shut. "Just stay quiet, okay?" He pressed his lips against mine and his tongue slipped past my lips. I moaned into his mouth, wrapping my arms around his neck. He was such a tease and I hated it so much, but then again I loved it. I loved everything about it. My body pressed up against his and he squeezed my breast gently. I wrapped my legs around his waist and rubbed against his hard cock through his pants. He pulled away and smiled down at me. "What are you doing?"

"I-I don't know." I pulled his head back down, kissing him more. I really didn't know what I was doing though. I couldn't control my hips anymore. They were just doing their own thing. He pinched my nipple tightly and a loud moan escaped my lips. He paused and put a hand over my mouth as the bathroom door slid back open. _Oh no, they heard us_. They shuffled down the hallway and turned out the light, sliding their door closed. Everything was quiet now, except the loud pounding of my heart reverberating through my ears and me and Bolin's heavy breathing. No one heard us. We were safe. Bolin turned and looked back at me, taking his hand from my lips. My chest rose and fell quickly underneath him. I felt so naughty; we shouldn't be doing this. "Bo, we can't do this. Not here; not now." He bent down and lightly kissed my neck.

"I know," he whispered. "I just can't help it. I want you so bad." His hands wandered over my body, squeezing and groping different places. He kissed my cheek and rolled off of me finally. His eyes searched over my body, taking in every detail, and I turned and did the same. I probably wouldn't have another chance to be with him like this for a long time, so I wanted to take in every detail. His cock was still hard underneath his lose pants and I blushed as I glanced down at it. I don't know what I was expecting, but I certainly didn't expect it to look so big underneath his clothing. I looked away quickly and brought my eyes back up to his face. I rolled over and wrapped the shirt back around me. He stuck out his bottom lip and pouted at me. "Aw, don't do that." I giggled and snuggled up next to him.

"Bo, I have to go back into the other room."

"No, please don't go. I'm so… worked up now. You can't just go. Plus, I don't want to be alone. I've never slept alone." I reached up and placed a hand on his cheek. He was so sweet. I felt terrible leaving him in this state. I kissed him softly and looked into his green eyes.

"I'll be on the other side of that wall, okay? Please try to get some sleep. And, er, I'm sorry but I don't think I can help you with that." I had never seen one before and I wasn't ready for it now. I felt so silly, I was just skirting around it like a child avoiding talking about sex. I had definitely gotten way ahead of myself just now but I really didn't want to go further.

"It's okay. I know you're not ready for anything like that. I'm not sure if I'm even ready." He laughed nervously. "I'll, uh, take care of it." I blushed and bit my lip. I knew what he meant and my mind instantly went to a naughty place. I pictured him lying naked in his bed, his hand tucked under the sheets moving up and down quickly. Him panting softly and a light sweat breaking across his forehead. I shook my head and got to my feet. I shouldn't be thinking things like that. But certainly, I was allowed, right? He probably thought about me that way all the time. I blushed more at that thought. He stood up as well and walked me to his door. I slid it open and hugged him through the doorway before making my way back to my bed.

"Goodnight, Kisa. I lo-" He paused and bit his lip, lowering his voice to an almost inaudible tone. "I love you…"

I smiled and kissed him on the lips lightly. "I know." He laughed and slid the door shut, letting me return to my room.

When I got there, I curled up back under the sheets and looked over at Korra. She was exactly how I left her, fast asleep, completely unaware that I had disappeared for the past 30 minutes. But I wasn't the same. I wasn't worried anymore. I wasn't stressed about the future. I wasn't unhappy about Bolin's relationship with Korra. I lay there blissfully reliving the past half hour. Bolin said he loved me. And I said I loved him. _We love each other_! I could still barely believe it, but it had happened. I stared out the window, smiling up at the moon. I felt so radiant in the moonlight. Tonight could not be more perfect. I heard Bolin grunt quietly on the other side of the wall. I guess he had finished "taking care of it." I can't believe how intimate we had suddenly become. And how comfortable I was with him. I pulled my sheets up to my mouth and smiled. Even if everything was scary right now and the city was on the brink of war, I couldn't help but enjoy the moment. I felt so giddy. But I was still oh so tired. And eventually, I fell back asleep, this time having sweet and wonderful dreams about Bolin instead of terrible nightmares.


	10. Training

"You're doing great, but you need to follow through more," Korra and I were standing in the courtyard of the Air Temple with Bolin and a couple bystanders watching us train. There were buckets of water all around us and targets set up on the other side. She bent some of the water up from a bucket next to her and swirled it around her before sending it in a heavy stream towards the target, making the wood holding it up splinter a little. "See, you've got the movements down perfect. You just gotta loosen up and follow through with the movements. That's why your bending isn't as good as it could be!" She looked at me and smiled.

She was so excited because Tenzin was giving her a break from airbending training until after lunch time, so she woke me and Bolin up immediately after hearing the news. She had come and jumped on me nearly an hour ago, startling me awake. "Get up, get up! I get a three hour break to hang out with you guys!" She shook me lightly and ran out of the room. "Come on," she yelled from the hallway. She burst into Bolin's room and I heard a girly scream.

"What are you doing in here? I'm not dressed!"

"Oh please, I've seen you shirtless before. Get up!" Pabu came sprinting down the hallway and into my room and jumped on top of me. I groaned and snuggled against him.

"Good morning, Pabu." He squeaked at me and I squeezed him tighter against me while he squirmed against my embrace.

"Come on guys, breakfast is getting cold!" Korra ran down the hall and I heard a shuffling noise from Bolin's room and within seconds he was standing in my doorway.

"Get up, Kisa! There's breakfast!" I squinted up at him and laughed lightly.

"Five more minutes," I mumbled and rolled over.

"No, you get up now! I haven't had a real breakfast since I was little. Come on!" I shut my eyes and Bolin ran over and straddled me and started poking me in different spots.

"Ah! No! Please, no! I'm so ticklish!" Pabu scurried away as Bolin attacked me with tickles.

"I'll stop if you get up."

"Okay, okay, I'm up, I'm up!" I sat up and pushed him off of me, poking him in his rib cage.

"Hah! Jokes on you, I'm not ticklish!" He laughed and hugged me tight. "Good morning, cutie! Come on, get dressed, I'm starving!"

An hour later, here we were, in the courtyard, practicing my waterbending. Korra was a surprisingly good teacher. She seemed so impatient with everything; I never would have thought she'd be good at teaching. I tried to mimic what she had just done, lifting the water out of the bucket and twirling it around me. But as I went to throw the water at the target, I just couldn't do it the same way she did. Either my arms weren't throwing hard enough or my footing was off, I just never seemed to get it and the water did nothing more than leave the target soaking wet. Why couldn't I do it? I was so much better with closer targets and smaller amounts of water; like when I attacked that firebender with the ice spike during the turf war. Korra walked over and circled me.

"Hmmm. I think you're trying too hard. It should just kinda come easy." Easy? I huffed in disbelief. Mastering it was anything but easy. "Waterbending is just supposed to flow through you. You gotta be fluid, like the water. You're too… stiff." I had heard all of this stuff before, and I was trying, but I never seemed to get it. Although, I suppose it did make a difference that this time I was actually being taught and the other times I learned it back at the water tribe I would sneak into the boys lessons and watch them, then go somewhere private later and practice alone. Korra walked over and stood behind me, putting her hands on my wrists. She moved them in quick but steady movements and then pushed my hands towards the targets hard and fast. "Like that. And make sure you stay light on your feet. I've noticed you never move them when you're bending. It's pretty funny how solid you are when you bend. As a waterbender, you're not always gonna be on land when you're bending. You can use your feet to bend water, too, but that's another lesson for another day." She laughed and backed away. "Okay, go ahead."

I exhaled slowly, trying to take in everything she said. I wiggled my toes and shook out my arms, trying to loosen up a little. I closed my eyes for a second and tried to picture the flow of the movements in my mind, then opened them and immediately repeated the movements Korra had shown me. I stayed light on my feet and remembered to move and when I pushed the water forward, it shot at the target harder than ever and nearly knocked it over. Bolin whooped from his spot on the railing behind me. Korra ran over and high fived me.

"Awesome! You totally got it! You'll be a master in no time." We laughed and continued the lesson. We moved on to water bullets next, which I excelled at greatly since the amount of water we had to use was so small. They took less concentration and quicker movements as well. I think I found my new weapon of choice.

We were about to move on to learning how to manipulate the temperature of the water when someone rang the lunch bell. Ikki and Meelo dashed from behind some bushes on the other side of the court yard and shoved past us, knocking over a bucket of water as they ran to the dining room. Tenzin's kids proved to be quite a handful even after our first encounter with them, and especially when Meelo jumped on Bolin during breakfast and wouldn't get off his back until Jinora told him he could have her leechi juice. Bolin seemed to handle them well, though, but I wasn't sure how much I liked them. I was never a huge fan of children, particularly the wild ones, and they were way too much for me to handle. However, Jinora and I seemed to get along quite well, seeing she was quiet and reserved and only spoke when there was something important to say. However, I did notice that she kept giggling at Bolin's jokes from behind her book, and, even though she's only 12, I couldn't help but be a little jealous. It didn't help that Bolin was totally oblivious and cracking exceedingly bad jokes because he was happy to have an appreciative crowd. We followed the children to the dining room where we were served Tofu sandwiches and goats milk.

After lunch we received a telegram from Asami. Bolin read it over with an angry look on his face while I filled Korra in on what exactly happened at the Sato mansion the night before. (Since Bolin seemed too angry to give her any details besides "Just… _Mako_!" when we arrived the previous night.)

"That's so stupid! Why would he go to her instead of me? He should know we have plenty of room here on the island. Why wouldn't he want to stay here? He's such a jerkbender. Ugh. Mako is stupid." Bolin glanced up from the telegram, his lips forming a thin line.

"Mako _is_ dating Asami, Korra. I'm sure you'd go to your boyfriend first if you had one." She glared at him angrily, fire in her eyes. Bolin jumped back and looked at me for help.

"Oh and Asami! Don't get me started on her! I thought she was better than that; turning you away like that! The nerve of her! Seriously!"

"Maybe you're just being jealous."

"Jealous? Of her? Please. Mako is an ass." Korra crossed her arms over her chest. "Why are you suddenly sticking up for them anyways. I thought you were mad at him. You were practically fuming when you arrived last night."

"Yeah, well, Mako is my brother. And apparently he wants to talk."

"About what? Let me see that!" Korra snatched the written telegram from his hands and skimmed over the brief paragraph. "Huh. I didn't know she had a pool."

I finally had the chance to jump in. "What's it say?"

"Asami wants us to come to the mansion tomorrow. She said she apologizes for how she acted and told us to bring a swimsuit and be ready for some fun. Oh, and Mako wants to speak to me. Figures. We haven't had a fight this bad in… ever." Bolin frowned and stared out the window at Republic City.

"Well then it's settled. We're going to visit Mako and Asami tomorrow and I'm going to give them both a piece of my mind. You just wait. I'll give them the real avatar state!" Korra punched her fist into her hand.

"I'll go, but I don't want anyone fighting. Please. I'm sick of it all." Bolin rubbed his eyes. "I just want me and Mako to get along again."

Although I did not have anything the even resembled a proper bathing suit, we agreed to go to the Sato mansion tomorrow after breakfast. None of us, except Korra, of course, were the type to hold grudges and we were willing to hear what they had to say when we got there. Korra left us to continue her airbending training and Bolin and I went off to find something fun to do while on the island.

* * *

Later that day, Bolin and I sat at the end of the dock overlooking Republic City. We sat in silence while I waterbended the ocean into different shapes to pass the time. He had pulled my hair out of its braid and was running his fingers through it, parting it this way and that while massaging my head.

"It's nice to have some time alone, isn't it?" Bolin asked as he rubbed behind my ears. I smiled and pulled the water up to pool into my hand. I focused on freezing it into the shape of a heart but it ended up looking lumpy and misshapen and absolutely nothing like a heart. How cheesy could I get? Making hearts out of ice because I was feeling so… _in love_. I needed to get a grip on myself. I was acting like all the girls in grade school. There were more important things to focus on right now. The city is on the brink of war and I'm just sitting here swooning over Bolin like one of his silly fangirls. "Kisa, you okay?"

"Yeah." I melted the ice and let it drip from between my fingers. "Do you think Sayomi is okay? Do you think she got away safe?"

Bolin dropped his hands from my hair and wrapped them around my waist. "I don't know, Kisa. You got away safely, perhaps she did, too."

"I need to find her. I need to make sure she's safe."

"So, what, you want to go into the city and search for her? Do you know how big the city is?"

"Yes, of course I do! But she couldn't have gone far. Right? Let's go. Now. We still have time to look for her before the sun goes down."

Bolin reluctantly agreed and an hour later, we were standing outside of my old apartment, staring up at the scorched building now blocked off by caution tape. I frowned and looked around for a clue or a sign of where she might be. Of course, there was nothing, but I couldn't stop worrying. There was blood spatter all over the cobblestones and covering the walls of the building. The fire seemed to have stretched across three different buildings before someone had managed to put it out, but you could tell most of the fighting had occurred on this end of the street. As I stood there taking it all in, that night flashed back before my eyes. I could see the child crying against this wall for his mother while the elements flew about. Bolin kicked at the burned wood on the ground in front of him.

"This is worse than I even imagined. How'd you make it out alive?"

"I don't know." I whispered. I looked down the street at the alley where I last saw Sayomi. I walked over there, looking at the spot where I had fallen. It showed no sign of a fight or a struggle except for the slight blood stains trailing towards where Sayomi had fallen. I thought of the Firebender I had attacked with an ice spike and squeezed my eyes shut trying not to think about what I had done to him. I had never actually used waterbending to defend myself before that moment. And I could've killed that man if I had stabbed him in the wrong place. When Bolin noticed the small blood stains on the cobblestone, he looked up at me unsurely.

"It's fine." I paused, suddenly realizing something. "Maybe…" Maybe Kuro would know where she is. I mean, they were friends after all. "We need to go to the coffee shop."

I took off down the street with Bolin close at my heels. "Wait, why are we going to the coffee shop? She doesn't even work there!"

"Bo, you need to stop asking questions!"

"But I'm curious! I can't help it!" After five minutes we rounded the corner and were standing in front of the coffee shop. The street looked so foreign compared to the usual Monday. Half the shops had closed down and the people walking down the sidewalks seemed so nervous and quiet. No one stopped to talk to each other or buy anything; none of the stall vendors tried to haggle with passersby; it was just so depressing. I turned to the shop behind me and frowned at the closed sign hanging on the door. I was sure I could find Kuro here. But of course, the shop is closed and Kuro is nowhere to be found. I huffed in frustration before noticing the other sign taped to the door.

_Until further notice, the shop is closed. I have left town until this war has blown over.  
If you're looking__for money or have any questions, you can find Kuro at the address below. He will  
help with any problems you may have. Have a great day._

_Love, Rose_

"We need to go there." I pointed to the address on the paper and looked at Bolin. "Do you know where that is?"

"Are you kidding me? Of course I know where that is. I lived on the streets for over 8 years. That's just down the road. Not far at all." He led me down the street and turned off onto a tiny road lined with small homes. About halfway down, Bolin stopped and pointed to the house to our right. "This is it. Is she here?"

"I hope." I walked up to the door and rapped on it lightly. There was a noise like someone banging their foot on the table and a second later, Kuro swung open the door, rubbing his knee lightly.

"Ah, I had just dozed off. I was wondering when you would show up. If Rose wouldn't have closed shop, you would've missed your shift last night."

"Oh. Yeah. Oops. Sorry. A lot of things happened yesterday."

"Yeah, I know. That's why it wasn't a big deal. A lot of people haven't even stopped by to pick up their money. But I can't say I wasn't worried about you. When Sayomi arrived here two nights ago, I thought she had gone mad screaming about how a firebending triad chased you down the road in the middle of the night."

"What? So she's here?"

"Of course I'm here!" Sayomi came sprinting around the corner in nothing but one of Kuro's oversized work shirts and jumped on me, hugging me tight. "I'm so glad you're okay! I was so worried about you when you were chased away by that triad. I can't thank you enough for distracting them from me. You saved my life." We were making a lot of noise for this quiet neighborhood and a woman down the road glared at us angrily while Kuro ushered us inside quickly.

"Sorry, the people around here have been a bit nasty as of late. All the revolution nonsense making them all bitter."

"You don't think there's going to be a war?"

"Of course not. No one has ever been able to completely overtake Republic City. Not even the triads. Plus Korra can totally kick some Equalist ass. You're all acting like it's the end of the world. This Amon guy is gonna get taken down easy. You just wait."

"Shut up, Kuro! Amon is stronger than you think. You didn't see someone lose their bending right in front of you! Stop being so insensitive." Sayomi glared at Kuro from her spot on the couch. "That jerk," she huffed under her breath. I knew she was referring to Tahno. She still wasn't over how she felt about him and what he had done to her. Though I knew she would never quite be over it, and certainly not after two days. I went and sat next to her on the couch while Bolin walked over to the window, peering out at the empty street. Kuro disappeared into what I assumed to be his kitchen and I lowered my voice so only Sayomi could hear me.

"Are you still upset?" I whispered. "About what happened with... him?" She nodded lightly and gave me a half-smile. I wished I could be there for her. After everything that had happened, being heartbroken wasn't something she needed to pile on top of it all. I pulled her into a side hug and she rested her head on my shoulder.

"I just miss him, you know. I can't be too mad at him for what he said. He was devastated. I just wish he would remember how much I loved him."

"Maybe you should just give him some time."

"Yeah that's what I thought. He must be so lonely. He doesn't really have many friends. I wish I was with him instead of here. I actually went to his place first, but no one was there. I must've sat on his door step for nearly an hour before I gave up and came here." She looked down and twiddled her thumbs. I frowned at her, wishing I could do so much more for her.

"I'm glad you're safe, Sayomi."

"Don't get comfortable." Kuro said, returning with an envelop in his hand. "The cops and the triads were practically at war last night and I can only imagine it will be the same tonight. You two should head home before the sun goes down." Kuro handed me the envelop. "Here's what Rose owed you. You two better get out of here. I promise Sayomi is in safe hands." He ruffled her hair and she swatted his hand away playfully, smiling up at him.

"Oh, you know I don't doubt that, Kuro." I laughed and Sayomi hugged me tight as I stood up."Don't worry, after this war is over, we'll move back in together and get new and better jobs." She laughed lightly and stroked my hair.

"Yeah, maybe we can get an apartment with a view this time." After a prolonged goodbye, I took my money from Kuro and Bolin and I headed back to the Air Temple.

"I told you she'd be okay. You worry too much. You need to trust me more. I'm smarter than I look, you know." He laughed lightly and I stared back at him, wondering if Tahno and Sayomi acted like me and Bo behind closed doors.

"Bo, I'm glad I have you here to take care of me." He looked back at me funny with a goofy grin on his face.

"Yeah, well, you don't really need much of a babysitter." I laughed lightly.

"Not like that. You know what I mean. It's just nice to have someone that can make me smile in the midst of it all."

"Just the perks of falling in love, I guess." He picked me a flower from a passing bush and handed it to me before we got to the beach. I kissed him on the cheek and we climbed into the small boat at the shoreline, staring back at the tall towers of the city as we floated away towards the island.


End file.
